Although not visa-exempt like Thailand, Vietnamese tourists have surpassed Thai visitors to become the leading source of Southeast Asian tourists to South Korea.
Data from the Korea Tourism Organization shows that in 2019, Thailand was the top Southeast Asian country in terms of tourist arrivals to South Korea with 572,000 visits, surpassing Vietnam (554,000) and the Philippines (504,000). However, in the early months of this year, Thailand (119,000 visits) dropped to third place after Vietnam (163,000 visits) and the Philippines (158,000).
Regarding the growth rate of tourists to South Korea, China leads with a 470% increase, followed by Japan with 86%. Other Southeast Asian countries also saw significant growth, including the Philippines (76%), Indonesia (51%), Malaysia (35%), Vietnam (29%), and Singapore (11%).
Tourists on the streets of Seoul
Experts in the industry explain the 59% drop in Thai tourists compared to the same period in 2019 and the overtaking by Vietnamese tourists as being due to negative sentiments arising from being denied entry at South Korea’s borders.
The K-ETA (Korea Electronic Travel Authorization) system requires tourists from 112 visa-exempt countries to register and obtain online entry approval before departing for South Korea. However, unlike Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Singapore, Thailand is not included in the exemption list.
Additionally, the high number of K-ETA rejections and the lack of clear explanations for these rejections have caused dissatisfaction among Thai citizens. Some tourists, even after receiving K-ETA approval, were still denied entry upon arrival in South Korea, exacerbating the issue.
These stories of entry denial have become a hot topic on Thai social media, contributing to the decline in tourist numbers. The stricter entry requirements for Thai citizens are partly due to Thailand being the top source of illegal immigration to South Korea.
The Korean Ministry of Justice emphasizes that these measures are necessary to prevent illegal immigration and are not discriminatory against Thai citizens.
However, tourism authorities, aiming to attract 20 million foreign tourists annually, are concerned about the decline in visitors from a country that was once the leading Southeast Asian nation in terms of tourism to South Korea.
@Thanhnien.vn