Accommodation in South Korea - statistics & facts

The South Korean tourism industry, like many others, was severely impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the country had enjoyed continuous growth in inbound visitor numbers, peaking at around 17.5 million in 2019. Much of South Korea’s draw for international tourists stems from traditional and modern cultural features, ranging from food to historical sites to contemporary pop culture phenomena such as K-pop and K-beauty.

Differences in accommodation preferences

In 2022, domestic travelers recorded around 49.2 million overnight stays with friends or family. This was particularly common around the time of major national holidays that center around spending time with family and/or returning to one’s hometown, such as Seollal (Lunar New Year) and Chuseok (autumn harvest festival). Meanwhile, international visitors, most of whom visited for leisure, primarily preferred to stay in hotels. Long-term visitors had a greater tendency to opt for cheaper lodging or arrange residential accommodations such as dormitories as they were more likely to be in the country for largely non-touristic purposes such as medical tourism or attending educational institutions.

The South Korean hotel industry

The hotel industry was the most successful travel and tourism sector in South Korea in 2022. It was estimated that by 2023, revenue in this sector will surpass pre-pandemic figures as the industry continues its recovery. While the number of guests from abroad remains low compared to before the pandemic, the number of domestic guests is well on its way toward recovery. There was a strong preference for booking hotels online, with around 82 percent of hotel bookings in 2022 having been made through hotel or third-party websites. A variety of Korean and international accommodation bookings websites and apps were used for this purpose.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Dec 20, 2023

Key insights

Travel and tourism market revenue
14.1tr KRW
Travel and tourism market revenue growth
48.8%
Leading online booking site
Yanolja
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