Tourists wearing "hanbok" pose at Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap

Korea plans to revitalize inbound tourism to boost the local economy amid ongoing political instability, with a goal of attracting 18.5 million foreign visitors this year, up 13 percent compared to 2024, the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said Wednesday.

"Recently, Korea's tourism industry has seen challenges such as travel safety issues, a continued economic downturn in major inbound markets and the rapidly changing domestic and international sociopolitical circumstances," KTO's interim president, Seo Young-choong, said in a press conference in Seoul.

"On the other hand, there are also opportunities, such as an increase in independent travel demand and the growing popularity of Korean culture around the world. The organization plans to focus its capabilities around its core businesses to stably overcome the crisis and make a bigger leap forward," he said.

Last year, Korea saw some 16.37 million inbound tourists, which is a 48.4 percent jump from the previous year and a 94 percent recovery from the 2019 prepandemic record high. However, the figure falls behind the country's ambitious goal to attain 20 million inbound visitors.

In response, the KTO will propel eight core projects under the acronym "SPECTRUM," which reflects the country's latest inbound and domestic travel trends.

The term is an abbreviation for sustainable regional tourism efforts, pet-friendly tourism, expansion of the Korean wave industry, culinary and gourmet travel, tech-driven artificial intelligence advancements, revitalizing wellness and healing travel, unprecedented digital transformation and meaningful local experiences.

Notably, KTO will unfold its strategic marketing campaign through road shows in 20 cities around the world, over half of which will take place during the first half of this year, it said.

Also, the organization will take advantage of the growing global popularity of Korean culture and collaborate with regional municipalities and tourism organizations to host K-pop concerts and cultural events in several cities outside of Seoul.

Korea Tourism Organization's (KTO) acting President Seo Young-choong speaks during the organization's annual conference with regional tourism organizations, municipalities and industry officials in Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of KTO

According to a recent survey by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, 35.6 percent of inbound visitors in 2023 were under 30, while an overwhelming 84 percent were independent travelers.

Notably, "hallyu," or the Korean wave, was the biggest motivation factor for travelers to visit Korea, with 32.1 percent of respondents saying so.

The organization also noted that neighboring China, which previously accounted for the lion's share of Korea's inbound tourists and industry sales, will play a key part in Korea's tourism recovery.

Last year, some 4.6 million Chinese travelers visited Korea, accounting for 28.1 percent of the 16.3 million inbound visitors.

However, the figure still lags far behind the prepandemic record high of 6 million, when Chinese tourists made up 34.4 percent of inbound visitors of 17.5 million.

Meanwhile, driven mainly by its expanding visa-waiver scheme, China saw its inbound travel bookings jump by 203 percent during this year's Lunar New Year period compared with the last year's holiday period, the South China Morning Post reported, Tuesday. Korea was among the top five visiting nations during the period.

Under the updated visa-exemption policy launched in November, Korean nationals can visit China for up to 15 days without a visa through Dec. 31, 2025.

In response, Korea has been actively considering allowing Chinese tour groups to enter the country without a visa. Currently, Chinese tourists can stay visa-free for up to 30 days, but only on Jeju Island.