Name: South Korea tourism booms as Chinese tourists swap Japan for Seoul
Uploaded: 2026-01-04T16:28:29.768Z
Duration: 2 min 1 s
Description: South Korea appears to have emerged as a top alternative destination for Chinese tourists, after Beijing urged citizens to avoid Japan amid a deepening spat over Taiwan.

South Korea appears to have emerged as a top alternative destination for Chinese tourists, after Beijing urged citizens to avoid Japan amid a deepening spat over Taiwan.

Seoul

South Korea is witnessing a significant increase in tourism, with Chinese visitors becoming the largest group at major events and festivals. This surge is attributed to ongoing political tensions between China and Japan, which have led many Chinese tourists to favor South Korea over Japan as a travel destination. 

The rise in visitors is also fueled by global interest in Korean culture, particularly K-dramas, and South Korea's efforts to maintain neutrality in regional disputes. Economists and officials note that Seoul is welcoming the highest number of visitors in its history, marking a recovery from previous declines linked to geopolitical tensions.

South Korea tourism booms as Chinese tourists swap Japan for Seoul

Tourists enjoying wonders seen in South Korean television shows known as K-dramas. Chinese visitors make up the largest group at this year's winter festival. We came here to take a look and also to experience the snow and the four seasons here. A dispute between Beijing and Tokyo about how Japan might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan appears to be driving a surge in bookings reported by China's largest travel platform. Economists say that should not come as a surprise. A lesson South Korea has learned the hard way. Chinese tourist arrivals dropped from more than 8 million a year in 2016 to a little more than 4 million the following year after the US deployed the third anti-missile system here that has a radar capable of peering deep into China. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo nosedived in 2019 over issues stemming from Japan's colonial era rule with tourism and trade hard hit. Those relations are largely back on track and South Korea is trying to stay out of the most recent China-Japan dispute. Northeast Asia is extremely vibrant economically but from a military and security perspective it's also very dangerous. In such a region it is desirable to work hard to find common ground and maximize cooperation where possible. That policy is paying off. This year we're welcoming the highest number of visitors to Seoul in history. That's being driven by the uptick in Chinese arrivals combined with a general surge in visitors from across the globe fascinated by K-culture. Jack Barton, Al Jazeera, Seoul.

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Breakdown