Korea as Tourism Powerhouse

History, culture, and coastlines cited for growth potential for Korean tourism

Korea's total number of tourists was estimated at 400 million in 2005, thanks to continued rise in income, the five-day workweek, and the development of transportation infrastructure such as high-speed railroad, and expressways. The number has been expanding 5 percent per year in the past several years and the rate is likely to be maintained in the near future. By 2010, total number of domestic tourists is projected to exceed 600 million.
In 2005, the number of in-bound foreign tourists totaled 6.02 million and outbound tourists 10.07 million. Tourist revenue amounted to $5.65 billion, while tourist expenditure amounted to $12 billion. The growth in tourism has put Korea into the 35th spot among 180 countries in terms of inbound tourists based on 2003 figures, 19th among 91 countries in the number of outbound tourists, 23rd among 178 countries in tourism revenue receipts and 15th among 136 countries in tourism expenditure.
The competition to attract foreign tourists has been growing intensive with China which is about to emerge as the largest inbound tourist market. Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan have been promoting tourist expansion campaigns to double the number of foreign tourists in their countries for several years. For instance, Japan, with similar tourism condition as Korea, was able to attract 6.73 million foreign tourists in 2005, up 10 percent from the previous year, despite its rough political relations with China and Korea.
The Pacific-Asia Travelers Association (PATA), in the January issue of its official magazine, played up Korea's inbound tourist numbers that exceeded 10 million mark at the end of 2005, under a headline, "Korea Now a Tourism Superpower,"which is a good indicator for Korea's economic development. Japan has started to push a program to achieve "20 million in outbound tourists'project,"through JATA, following its "10 million outbound tourists program'that was launched in 1987.
Despite tough campaigns, the number of outbound tourists compared to domestic travelers is lower than those of other foreign countries in Japan. In Japan, domestic travel is encouraged very much in place of foreign travel, which accounts for the lower rate of Japanese outbound tourists compared to other countries.
As a country gets richer, the number of outbound tourists'increases and the country's tourism account suffers deficits. In the case of Japan, its tourism deficit amounted to $3.9 billion in 1981, when its GNP per person reached $20,000. In 1987, however, the deficit jumped to $8.7 billion and ballooned to $16.8 billion in the following year. The deficit continued to rise every year, except for three years during the Asian financial crisis in 1998. Such development comes naturally in step with the growth of the economy. But at the same time, it shows that Korea should give a serious thought to the problem. But unlike in the times, when the country suffered from a chronic foreign exchange shortage, the country can't always be so serious about the tourism deficit and pay its attention instead to the benefit of overseas tourism on the people in particular its satisfactory and soundness levels. It is deeply related to changes in tourism patterns and lifestyle brought on by societal transformation. Changes from fast tourism to slow tourism, with emphasis on cultural experience and tourism becoming an important factor in the life of the people, requiring tourism and direction of tourism policies drawn up to lead it.
Under these circumstances, Korean tourism policies and strategies to spur its further growth need to be changed. First, they have to be led by the private sector. The idea is dramatically different from tourism policies and their formats led by the government in the past. From 1950 to 1990, the country did not have much tourism infrastructure and private tourism firms and therefore, the tourism industry's operations depended on tourism facilities, the development of special tourism complexes and specially favored tourism installations.
Past businesses and policies based on past policy frames will no longer be effective and sustainable in the diversified and democratic society, whose scale and economy have gone through a large expansion.
Second, budgets and official funds operation, regional tourism policies and businesses should be held accountable to regional authorities with the participation of local residents. At the present time, the resident participation is confined to the evaluation and criticism of tourism policies, but they have to be involved more deeply to the extent that they will draw up tourism programs and operate them. Investment in all tourism sectors, and operations should be determined by residents autonomously and make investments under their decisions in an environment conducive to such actions. Such investment should be determined on their own merits by market, not on favors, which will make them competitive with increases in self-sustaining power.
In order to realize these changes, the government has to improve the balanced development of special budgets, with supplementation, deregulation of various regulations, the delegation of authorities from the central government to provincial governments in the issuance of licenses, and the creation of systems to attract investment in tourism sectors and the expansion in the development of tourism resources with the participation of the people.
The establishment of network is a necessity in building the foundation to spur the growth of tourism. Networking between the government and the private sector, the central government and regional governments and industry, government and academics is a prior requirement. A network connecting tourism expert groups is also an important factor. Also important is a network linking historical and cultural resources, environmental and ecological resources, farm-fishery resources, and other similar tourism resources. A network for villages, tourism resources nearby those villages, resources between regions over and above administrative units, tourism resources and tourism companies is also a key factor. Also crucial is the network between cities and villages. A network among officials in charge of tourism at consultation systems among the central government units and between the central government and regional governments and officials in charge of tourism at different regions should be set up. A true vitality is born in the autonomous situations. Programs in tourism areas, and commodities should be based on autonomous and creative activities so that tourism is connected with the quality of lives of residents and travelers and become culture, content and experience.
The development of tourism led by residents, creative tourism resources, and business and programs becomes ultimately a matter of manpower. Tourist spots such as Disney Land and Lego Land are determined by design and direction to be successful. Regional tourism planners, the capacities of tourism experts, tourism minds of residents and capacities will determine the quality and competitiveness of regional tourism and furthermore the nation's tourism quality and competitiveness. In order to achieve these objectives, regional tourism development leaders, government employees, tourism industry and other experts need to have training with proper programs operated by professional consulting groups in cities, counties, and villages under a common system.
Global tourism spots are created based on tourism commodities. Those commodities, be they goods, sights, and playgrounds will determine success or failure of tourist spots Renowned commodities are related to the quality of life and special characters.
The creativity that cannot be found in anywhere else in the world, which made the "Hangul" the porcelain culture that even surprised the Chinese, the coastlines of the Many Islands Sea, and the cultural capacity that made the Korean Wave, the Buddhist culture and philosophy that fascinate Westerners, all of cultural heritage and the history make Korea have unique tourism resources. To be a popular tourist country, the country has to have a good image, forcing the country to boost its international cultural image. As important is for the citizens of the country to have deeper and wider knowledge of their culture. Korea doesn't have historic tourism resources like Italy, the Grand Canyon in the United States, natural resources like in China and Switzerland, France's Paris, and Shakespeare for Britain. But Korea has beautiful coastlines, historic legacies, and the Hangul better than any of works of Shakespeare, and most importantly the people with hospitality a great tourism asset, making the future prospects for the Korean tourism industry brighter. nw

Director-General Kim Chan of the Tourism Bureau at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

A panoramic scenery of Mt. Halla on Jeju Island, endowed with natural wonders.

A scenic view of Sorak Mountain near Sokcho, Gangwon Province, one of abundant tourism assets in Korea.