Shopping has been the biggest reason in bringing foreigners to South Korea, leading them to spend an average US$653 during their stay, a poll on visitors revealed.
SEE ALSO : Korean Duty-free sales hit another monthly record
A foreign visitor to Korea spent at average US$653, according to a poll by the nation’s leading budget carrier Jeju Air Co. on 1,056 non-Korean nationals on their return flight to home.
Excluding flight and accommodation costs, the largest proportion of 27.2 percent of the respondents said they had spent from US$300 to US$500 during their visit, followed by 20.5 percent of the respondents who had spent less than US$300, and 19 percent saying that they had spent from US$500 to US$700. Foreigners who spent more than US$1,500 accounted for 7.5 percent.
The item that topped the shopping list of the travelers from overseas countries was clothes at 54.5 percent and cosmetics, which came second at 49.1 percent, based on multiple responses. Food ranked third at 33.5 percent.
By nation, 57.3 percent of Japanese visitors had bought clothes in Korea, followed by cosmetics, which accounted for 55.7 percent and 55.3 percent for food expenses.
For Taiwanese visitors, watches were on top of the list at 73.9 percent, followed by clothes at 71 percent and shoes 60.9 percent. Cosmetics were the most popular shopping item for travelers from China, Vietnam, and Thailand.
The survey also found that about 86 percent of the respondents stayed in Korea for more than three days. Most of them chose the country for shopping and dining, with a response rate reaching 59.3 percent 56.3 percent, respectively.
SEE ALSO : Who visited Korea in 2018?
86.5 percent said they were satisfied with their travel experiences in the country and 91.2 percent said they are willing to revisit Korea later. Among them, 55.6 percent wanted to travel Seoul and its surrounding areas again, and 32 percent hoped to go to Jeju Island during their revisit.