--- title: "Foreign Tourist Surge: Small Accommodation Businesses Face a Crossroads" description: "If you want to attract international guests, listing on global OTAs isn't optional—it's essential" published: 2025-09-25T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Weekly ON" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/68dd089dafe31646ae0bc195_KakaoTalk_20250923_214149747_01.png" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=weeklyon-vol-157 locale: en --- # Foreign Tourist Surge: Small Accommodation Businesses Face a Crossroads ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting. --- #### **This Week's Weekly ON** 🏨 Foreign Tourist Surge: Small Accommodation Businesses Face a Crossroads 💡 What's in the 'Chuseok Economic Stability Package' for Hospitality? ⌨️ #ChuseokDomesticTravel #ChineseTouristVisaWaiver #IllegalAccommodationCrackdown #SeoulForeignTourism #K-TourismInnovationTF --- **🏠 Industry Story** ### **Foreign Tourist Surge: Small Accommodation Businesses Face a Crossroads** The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in 2025 is exploding. In July 2025, **1,733,199 foreign tourists visited—a 23.1% increase year-over-year**—and cumulative arrivals from January through July have already **topped 10 million**. What's more striking is that this isn't a one-time spike. From August 2024 through July 2025, over 1 million tourists visited every single month, totaling **17,818,889 visitors—surpassing 2019 levels entirely**. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/68d288c1c1f046632f8c02bb_KakaoTalk_20250922_170332483.png) This sends a clear signal to small and mid-sized accommodation businesses: **foreign tourists are no longer optional—they're essential**. ### **From Youke to Sanke: The Evolving Chinese Tourist** Pay special attention to Chinese tourists, who account for about 30% of all inbound visitors. The shift from **'Youke' (游客, group tour packages)** to **'Sanke' (散客, independent travelers)** is complete. This change opens new doors for small lodgings. Group tourists stayed at large hotels tied to package deals, but **young independent travelers search and book unique properties directly via OTAs and social media**. They're not just shopping anymore—they want **cultural experiences, K-food, beauty treatments**, and more. **They seek 'emotional,' 'exotic,' and 'experience-driven' stays. Exactly where small properties can outshine big hotels.** If you want to attract international guests, listing on global OTAs isn't optional—it's essential. 62% of global travelers book accommodation through OTAs. But here's the **critical decision**: **Will you manage your listings yourself, or outsource to an agency?** ### 👉[****](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub25kYS5tZS9ibG9nL29lZ3VnaW4tZ3dhbmd3YW5nZ2FlZy1wb2dqZXVuZy1qdW5nc29zdWdiYWdlb2Itc2VvbnRhZWd5aS1zaWdhbmktd2Fzc2RhP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9c3RpYmVlJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXItMjAyNV8wOV8yNQ) --- **💡 Hospitality Trends** ### **What's in the 'Chuseok Economic Stability Package' for Hospitality?** [**👉\[Full Story\]**](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud293dHYuY28ua3IvTmV3c0NlbnRlci9OZXdzL1JlYWQ_YXJ0aWNsZUlkPTIwMjUwOTE2NzU4MWc) Last week, the government announced its [**'Chuseok Economic Stability Package'**](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGFua3l1bmcuY29tL2FydGljbGUvMjAyNTA5MTUzODk2Zw) aimed at boosting regional tourism during the holiday. **The goal: get people traveling locally over Chuseok.** Major tourist sites—national heritage properties, arboretums, museums—will offer free or discounted entry. Expressway tolls will be waived. And **150,000 accommodation discount vouchers** will be issued for use in 31 special disaster zones. A broader **'Autumn Travel Campaign'** runs through November, featuring: - **▲'Accommodation Sale Festa'** vouchers (₩20,000–₩50,000 off) - **▲Quality-certified stays** discount (₩20,000–₩30,000 off) - **▲Camping sites** discount (₩10,000 off) - **▲Tour pass & tourism venture packages** (up to 30% off) - **▲Six themed travel programs** (average 45% off) Expect a major uptick in domestic travel demand. --- **⌨️ Keyword News** **1️⃣ #ChuseokDomesticTravel** [👉\[Full Story\]](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaW1hZWlsLmNvbS9wYWdlL3ZpZXcvMjAyNTA5MTkwOTAyNDczMzU5NQ) **TL;DR:** October holiday bookings up 65% YoY **The story:** Nolyuniverse reports that domestic accommodation bookings during the October holiday period surged 65% compared to last year. Gangwon-do accounted for 18% of bookings, while South Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces jumped 131% and 124%, respectively. Nature-oriented lodging is booming: pensions +82%, glamping/caravans/camping +131%. **2️⃣ #ChineseTouristVisaWaiver** [👉\[Full Story\]](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaGFua3l1bmcuY29tL2FydGljbGUvMjAyNTA5MDg5MjI0Zw) **TL;DR:** Visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists sparks optimism **The story:** Starting September 29, the government will temporarily allow visa-free entry for Chinese group tourists, raising expectations in the tourism sector. China is Korea's #1 source market—last year Chinese visitors accounted for 28% (4.6 million) of all arrivals. The 2025 target: 5.36 million, up 17%. **3️⃣ #IllegalAccommodationCrackdown** [👉\[Full Story\]](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubWsuY28ua3IvbmV3cy9jdWx0dXJlLzExNDA5NjU5) **TL;DR:** Airbnb calls for stronger enforcement against illegal listings **The story:** Airbnb held a roundtable urging policy reforms to eliminate illegal properties, including: ▲Improving Jeju's 'off-islander business' rules (e.g., owner residency requirement, ban on domestic guests) ▲Legal framework requiring all platforms to verify and submit business registration data. **4️⃣ #SeoulForeignTourism** [👉\[Full Story\]](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGlzY292ZXJ5bmV3cy5rci9uZXdzL2FydGljbGVWaWV3Lmh0bWw_aWR4bm89MTA3MjM3NA) **TL;DR:** Seoul foreign arrivals hit all-time high **The story:** July 2025 saw 1.36 million foreign tourists visit Seoul—up 23.1% YoY and a record high. Top markets: China (470k), Japan (240k), Taiwan (160k), U.S. (100k). Jan–Jul 2025 also set a new record for the period. **5️⃣ #K-TourismInnovationTF** [👉\[Full Story\]](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMzAxMzA2Mi8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZm5uZXdzLmNvbS9uZXdzLzIwMjUwOTAzMTU1OTAzMjkyOA) **TL;DR:** Culture Ministry launches K-Tourism Innovation Task Force **The story:** The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a new task force to boost inbound and regional tourism. It includes cross-government agencies (Finance, Justice, Interior, Land & Transport), public corporations (Korea Tourism Organization, Korail), and private sector partners (travel agencies, platforms). ---