SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA / RankWire.AI / – In July 2026, South Korea welcomed a total of 2,093,223 international visitors, signaling a robust rebound in global tourism. This monthly figure reflects a 20.8% increase compared to the 1,733,199 arrivals recorded in July 2025. Additionally, it surpasses the July 2019 level by 44.6%, prior to the pandemic’s impact on international travel. The Korea Tourism Organization published the most recent monthly tourism statistics on August 25.
Compared to the same month two years earlier, foreign visitor numbers also saw a significant rise. In July 2024, South Korea hosted 1,408,499 international travelers, making the latest total 48.6% higher. During July 2026, China continued to be the dominant inbound tourism source. Visitors from China numbered approximately 777,000, with Japan, Taiwan, the United States, and Hong Kong rounding out the top five source markets.
Japan contributed roughly 330,000 visitors in the month, while Taiwan brought in about 261,000. The United States sent around 150,000 tourists, and Hong Kong contributed close to 76,000. All five leading markets exceeded their visitor totals from July 2019. China’s number increased by 49.6% from that year, Japan saw a 20.2% rise, and Taiwan experienced a 129.4% growth.
Asian Regions Propel July Tourism Growth
Travelers from the United States increased by 54.4% compared to July 2019, and arrivals from Hong Kong grew by 29.1%. The data for July indicates that South Korea’s primary tourism markets have all moved beyond their pre-pandemic levels. China remains the leading source in terms of visitor numbers, followed by Japan and Taiwan. The United States ranks fourth among the five major markets reported for the month.
The overall data for the first seven months of 2026 also demonstrates notable growth in international tourism. From January to July, South Korea received 12,803,142 foreign visitors, a 21.3% increase from the same period in 2025. This total was 129.5% of the corresponding 2019 figure. According to Korea Tourism Organization data, China contributed around 3.99 million visitors, with Japan close behind at 2.28 million, and Taiwan accounting for 1.41 million.
Foreign Visitor Numbers Remain Elevated Beyond Pre-Pandemic Levels
During the first seven months of 2026, the United States contributed approximately 960,000 travelers, while Hong Kong added about 420,000 over the same period. These figures highlight the sustained strength of South Korea’s inbound tourism compared to pre-pandemic years. July’s arrivals surpassed both the 2024 and 2025 monthly totals by double-digit percentages, with cumulative foreign visitors remaining well above 2019 levels.
Outbound travel, however, showed a different trend during this period. About 2,419,457 South Korean residents traveled abroad in July, a slight decrease of 0.7% from 2,435,291 the previous year. From January through July, roughly 17.38 million South Koreans journeyed overseas. This cumulative figure reached 98.5% of the 2019 comparison, meaning outbound travel was marginally below pre-pandemic levels, despite inbound tourism remaining significantly higher.