Jeju Island welcomes 3.5 million visitors from 1 January to 10 April

The wellness tourism market has been gaining traction since 2020, wherein the global market was estimated at USD735.8 billion

The number of tourists visiting Jeju went up 37.4 percent so far this year compared to last year.

The Jeju Tourism Association, according to Yonhap News, stated that 3.5 million visitors arrived on Jeju Island from 1 January to 10 April, compared to 2.5 million during the same period in 2021. The total number of arrivals reached 368,584, with the daily average for the period recorded at 36,858. 

Experts attribute this surge to the arrival of spring and the need to restore how life was before the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the wellness tourism market has been gaining traction since 2020, wherein the global market was estimated at KRW908 trillion (USD735.8 billion). This was a 15 percent increase from 2017’s KRW790 trillion (USD626.5 billion).

Choi Hee Jeong, professor at Cha University’s Graduate School of Integrative Medicine told The Korea Herald that retreat centres in Korea have been gaining popularity because it “does not rely solely on a single program, but a complex wellness experience that, for example, combines yoga, a vegan diet, meditation, and other practices together to better suit each guest’s condition.”

In the report, Jeju had two entries in the wellness tourism recommendation project, which is led by the Korea Tourism Organisation: in the nature and forest category — Hwansang Forest Gotjawal Park, and listed under the healing and meditation category — Jeju 901.

In another report by Yonhap News, Jeju is resuming its foreign visa waiver program, which had been suspended for the past two years due to the pandemic. With the last wave of infections waning, the country has recently reduced border regulations, exempting fully vaccinated tourists from mandatory quarantine upon arrival.

More: Busan makes a name for itself as the only MICE destination in South Korea

Kim Ae-sook, head of the tourism bureau of the provincial government said, “We will strive to attract foreign tourists by promoting Jeju’s image as a clean and safe destination, developing products reflecting the latest trends, resuming the visa-free entry program, and recovering international flights promptly.”

The Property Report editors wrote this article. For more information, email: [email protected].