South Korea Aims for 30 Million Tourists by 2030, President Lee Urges Nationwide Revamp

Lee made the remarks at an expanded national tourism strategy meeting with relevant agencies, where officials discussed ways to boost the industry under a goal of attracting 30 million foreign visitors by 2030. About 18.9 million travellers visited South Korea last year, a record high, Yonhap News Agency reported.

To reach the 2030 target, Lee stressed that service quality must be significantly upgraded and that regional infrastructure and tourism content need to be strengthened.

"If we remain satisfied with the reality that Seoul draws 80 percent of foreign travellers, the tourism industry's expansion will inevitably face limits," he said. "The gains from the growth of the tourism industry should be shared by commercial districts and small business owners across the country."

Emphasising the global appeal of Korean culture, Lee said the country should better connect its cultural boom to the tourism sector and broader economy.

To support this shift, Lee urged the government to improve regional transportation infrastructure and the immigration process, and develop fresh tourism content that makes better use of unique regional assets to encourage visitors to travel beyond the capital.

He also stressed the need to tackle long-standing complaints from foreign visitors to improve the quality of services.

"We should root out unreasonably high pricing, poor service and excessive customer solicitation," he said.

Wednesday's session marked the first time in seven years that a sitting president has attended the national tourism strategy meeting, which is typically chaired by the prime minister.

The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, along with senior officials from the culture, justice, transport, oceans and finance ministries, presidential aides and outside experts. Lee Boo-jin, CEO of Hotel Shilla and chairperson of the Visit Korea Committee, joined the meeting.

- IANS