South Korea seeks to boost foreign tourism in regional cities

Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pose for a group photo during a meeting in the administrative city of Sejong on Nov. 2, 2026. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

SEOUL, November 3 (AJP) - South Korea plans to expand international flights at regional airports and make public transportation easier to use for foreign tourists, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said on Tuesday.

The ministry is considering expanding flight slots at regional airports and giving priority to South Korea-bound international flights in cooperation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

It is reviewing ways to improve payment systems to allow travelers to pay public transportation fares with regular credit or debit cards, without having to purchase a separate transit card.

The measures were discussed at a joint meeting between officials from the two ministries in the administrative city of Sejong. They also reviewed ways to make rail and bus services easier for foreign visitors, improve taxi and digital map services and encourage tourists to spend more time in regional destinations.
 

Officials from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport attend a meeting in the administrative city of Sejong on Nov. 2, 2026. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The ministry is seeking to draw more foreign visitors to destinations outside the Seoul metropolitan area as it works toward a target of 30 million inbound tourists.

The discussions follow the launch of a joint tourism and transportation policy council by the two ministries in May to address obstacles foreign visitors face, from entering South Korea to traveling around the country.

Proposals from the discussions will be considered for joint government projects in 2027.