Jeju visitor numbers fell 9.1% in 2023 versus 2022. But in March, they rose 0.7% year-on-year — the first increase in a long time. Will Jeju's recovery hold?
Hello subscribers — this is Weekly ON, your hospitality industry newsletter. Jeju visitor numbers fell 9.1% in 2023 versus 2022. But in March, they rose 0.7% year-on-year — the first increase in a long time. Will Jeju's recovery hold?
⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting.
In this issue
🏠 3 reasons Jeju's accommodation market is heating up
💡 May inbound travel trends: China's Labor Day and Japan's Golden Week
⌨️ #Q1InboundTravel #GangwonStaycationCoupons #YangyangResortDevelopment #HanRiverFloatingHotel #AbuDhabiTourism
🏨 Industry story
3 reasons Jeju's accommodation market is heating up
Some good news to start: Jeju's tourism is growing again. According to Korea Tourism Data Lab, visitor numbers last month rose 0.7% year-on-year — ending a long decline.
In 2023, Jeju visits fell 9.1% versus 2022, which had many in the island's hospitality sector worried. It feels good to finally report that the slide is over.
Is this a blip — or the start of a sustained rebound? Three trends point to a real recovery: ▲foreign visitor growth ▲rising demand for premium properties ▲Jeju's enduring appeal to families.
1️⃣ Foreign visitor surge led by China
As of April 23, Jeju Tourism Organization's daily data shows that domestic visitors to Jeju this year fell 9.3%, but foreign arrivals surged 459% to around 500,000.
Korea Tourism Data Lab reports that Chinese visitors accounted for 60.6% of Jeju's Q1 foreign arrivals. And Jeju is a top destination for the upcoming May Labor Day holiday.
Chinese travelers favor Jeju for "romantic getaways" and "cosmetics shopping," according to the data. While Japanese visitors average 2.4 nights, Chinese visitors stay 4 nights — making them particularly valuable. Securing Chinese bookings via global OTAs and sales channels will become increasingly critical.
2️⃣ Demand for luxury and private villa properties
What types of properties are doing well? ONDA internal data shows pool villa transaction volume surging across all major travel platforms — domestic and global.
👉<Read the full story>
💡 Hospitality trends
May inbound trends: China's Labor Day & Japan's Golden Week
In March, Korea logged its highest monthly foreign visitor count since the pandemic. May should see continued growth: the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism expects 100,000 Japanese visitors during Golden Week and 80,000 Chinese visitors during Labor Day.
Korea's inbound tourism is nearing a full recovery — but Chinese and Japanese travel behavior has shifted dramatically from pre-pandemic patterns.
Department store and duty-free spending has fallen. Spending on transport (taxis, intercity buses, luggage storage) and experiential activities (photobooths, K-pop experiences, beauty services) has surged. Tourism has shifted from group tours to solo travel, from shopping to experiences.
This has changed where visitors go. Pre-pandemic, Jung-gu dominated (duty-free concentration). Now visits are spreading to Gangnam, Mapo, and Yeouido — areas offering richer experiences.
Visitor demographics have also shifted younger: women in their 20s now make up the largest share. But accommodation preferences differ: Japanese visitors prioritize quality and spend the most on hotels, while Chinese visitors prioritize value and seek affordable, high-value stays.
More details in the link below.
👉<Read the full report>
⌨️ Industry news
1️⃣ Q1 inbound travel 👉[full story]
TL;DR: Q1 arrivals reach 88.6% of 2019 levels
The story: Around 3.4 million foreign visitors came to Korea in Q1 — 88.6% of 2019 levels — the highest quarterly count since the pandemic.
What's next? Half of Korea's top source markets have already surpassed their 2019 arrival volumes. With Japan's Golden Week and China's Labor Day approaching, growth should continue.
2️⃣ Gangwon staycation coupons 👉[full story]
TL;DR: Gangwon records highest coupon-driven lodging sales nationwide
The story: Last year's government-backed Lodging Sale Festa generated ₩24.3 billion in sales in Gangwon. 85.7% came from visitors outside the province — the best visitor inflow effect in the country.
Sales breakdown: Gangwon led all 17 provinces in lodging sales. Coupon users booked pricier properties: resorts (45.7%), pensions (19%), hotels (16.8%) — driving higher transaction values.
3️⃣ Yangyang resort development 👉[full story]
TL;DR: Yangyang resort projects stall amid high rates and real estate downturn
The story: Lodging development projects in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, are struggling due to the project financing freeze. Permits dropped from 75 in 2022 to 46 in 2023 — and zero so far this year.
Why? Land prices surged after the Seoul-Yangyang Expressway opened. In 2022, Yangyang land prices rose 3.935% year-on-year — nearly matching Seoul's affluent Seocho district (3.982%).
4️⃣ Floating hotel on Han River 👉[full story]
TL;DR: Seoul to build floating hotel near Yeouido
The story: Seoul unveiled its Han River Waterway Activation Plan: ₩550 billion to be invested by 2030 in floating hotels, offices, marinas, and water sports facilities.
Timeline: A floating hotel will be built near Yeouido's Mulbit Stage. Private operators will be selected next year, with construction starting in 2026.
5️⃣ Abu Dhabi tourism push 👉[full story]
TL;DR: Abu Dhabi eyes South Korea as key inbound market
The story: Abu Dhabi is making tourism a strategic national priority. It aims to grow overseas arrivals from 24 million (2023) to 39.3 million (2030) — 7% annual growth.
The plan: Abu Dhabi sees South Korea as a priority market. To boost tourism, it will expand hotel rooms from 34,000 to 52,000 and strengthen event programming with concerts and festivals.