Creatrip’s Survey on Perceptions of Foreign Tourists Visiting Korea
The popularity of visiting Korea driven by K-beauty and medical tourism
As the frequency of visits increases, travel range expands to local regions
According to the “Foreigners Visiting Korea Comprehensive Awareness Survey” conducted by Creatrip on 100 foreign tourists, 8 out of 10 foreign tourists visiting Korea expressed their intention to revisit within a year. Repeated visits show a growing preference for “digging tourism,” where tourists directly learn and explore Korean culture, such as K-pop dance, makeup lessons, and Korean cooking classes.
On the 26th, Creatrip, a leading inbound tourism platform in Korea, announced the results of the survey conducted from February 7 to 15 on 100 foreign tourists. 79% of respondents expressed their intention to revisit Korea within a year. The proportion of “regular tourists” who visited Korea three or more times in the past three years reached 45%, and their travel range expanded beyond Seoul to local regions. Satisfaction with the Creatrip app was high, with 72% of respondents rating it 4 or more points, reflecting strong trust among foreign tourists.
79% of respondents replied positively to their intention to revisit Korea within a year. Visit frequencies over the past three years ranged from 1 to more than 4 times, with 45% having visited at least three times, indicating that Korea is becoming a regular, personalized travel destination rather than a one-time visit.
The most anticipated products among visiting foreigners were in the K-beauty and medical fields, focusing on dermatology (22%), hair salons (20%), and makeup (19%). Satisfaction surveys also ranked skincare treatments highest at 23%, reinforcing the importance of beauty and medical services in driving tourism. Notably, “specialized experiential” products like K-pop dance classes (20%), makeup lessons (18%), and Korean cooking classes (16%) are also in high demand, indicating a shift towards immersive exploration of Korean lifestyle and culture, beyond the previously beauty-medical-focused offerings.
As the number of visits increases, foreign tourists are showing a desire to visit regions beyond Seoul. Busan was the top desired revisit destination at 70%, followed by growing interest in various regions like Jeju, Jeonju, Gyeongju, and Yeosu. Gyeongju was notably mentioned by tourists who have visited three or more times, showing increasing interest in Korea’s historical and traditional culture with repeated visits.
This trend is intertwined with “local digging,” a deeper exploration of local life and culture, leading to the popularity of region-specialized programs. Tourists expressed a preference for uniquely local experiences like the Daegu herbal medicine market tour, Gyeongju hanok stay, and Jeonju bibimbap or hanji crafts, highlighting the potential for region-specific content to promote local tourism.
Lim Hye-min, CEO of Creatrip, stated that as Korean content is refined globally, foreign tourists’ interests are becoming expert level and highly segmented. The survey highlighted high praise for Creatrip’s quick adaptation to local trends and improved reservation convenience. Plans are underway to continually discover professional experiential products that allow tourists to deeply experience and realize their well-defined preferences, using hidden local resources not only in Seoul but across the country.