Analysis Of South Korea As A Tourism Destination

Analysis on Push Factors

Conduct an analysis of South Korea as a tourism destination and write a research Report?

Tourism sector of South Korea influences economical growth of the country.  In last few years number of   tourists in South Korea increased rapidly.   With the increase in number of tourists, the tourism sector of the country is also experiencing change in nature of   tourists.  High growth of tourism also led to   problems related with lack of infrastructure and safety of tourists.  In this report, the push and pull factors for Korean tourism are discussed. The report also contains analysis of strategies for promotion of tourism in Korea.oghHghH

Chen et al., (2013) opines that the nature of international tourists is changing rapidly. Analysis of the emerging tourism trends indicates that large number of tourists prefers to visit south Asian countries.  South Korea one of the emerging tourist spots in Asia. Analysis of the growth in   number of tourists visiting South Korea indicates that the visitors are not only attracted by historical places, natural beauty and cultural heritage of the country also attracts tourists. Population of South Korea is approximately 51 million Bigley et al. (2010). More than 80% of the total population lives in urban areas (Guichard-Anguis and Moon, 2009). High cultural diversity is seen among Korean population. According to An (2013) Korean traditional culture is influenced by Japanese and western culture. Although Korean culture s influenced by   different cultures, features of multicultural society is not evident till now (Cai et al., 2009). Conrady and Buck (2012) consider that the tourists are attracted not only by natural beauty, but the opportunity for experiencing cultural activities also increases the number of tourists.

According to (asds) origin of a tourist influences on the motivation for visiting a place. On other hand, Griffin and Raj, (2012) considers that behavior of tourists is greatly impacted by need for relaxation and social -interaction. Number of international tourists is increasing rapidly in Korea Waitt (2015). However the tourists from   different countries visit Korea due to presence of different motivational factors. In this report, countries from where most of the tourists visit Korea are indentified. Similarities among these push factor are also analyzed.

Analysis of the nationality of tourists indicates that the most of the tourists visiting South Korea   belong to East Asian and Asia Pacific countries. It is observed that number of Chinese tourists is highest among international tourists. Korean tourism sector experienced rapid increase in the number of Chinese tourists in past few years. Japanese tourists account for a significant portion of total international tourists in South Korea. However, Hsu and Gartner (2012) opined that the number of Japanese tourists in Korea is decreasing gradually due to fluctuation in Japanese economy. Analysis in the nationality of tourists indicates that Taiwan can be considered as one of the most profitable source markets   for Korean Tourism Industry. Other Asian   countries   from where large number of tourists visits Korea are –Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia Singapore etc. Findings of the analysis  also reflects that most if the tourist   who  belong  to  Japan ,Taiwan ,Hong Kong  are female. On other hand, number of male tourists is more in   tourists groups of Indonesia, Singapore and Myanmar.

List of Source Markets

Figure 1: Number of tourists in South Korea from different countries

(Source: Kto.visitkorea.or.kr, 2015)

Apart from Asian tourists a large number of American and European tourists visit South Korea every year. Most of the European tourists in South Korea belong to UK. Other European countries which can be considered as source markets for Korean tourism sector are Germany France and Italy.  Huge number of tourists from US also prefers to visit Korea.  

China	Japan	Taiwan
·         Relaxation ·         Professional purposes ·         Meeting  with relatives	·         Relaxation ·         Educational purposes	·         Relationship between  two  countries ·         Relaxation

Table 1: Key push factors for tourists from China, Japan and Taiwan

Analysis on the number of tourists   in South Korea indicates that most of the tourists come from countries such as China, Japan and Taiwan Hyun and Cho (2014) stated that activities of a tourist are influenced by motivational factors. Push factors of tourists from main source countries can be identified by analyzing their activities in Korea.

Push factors for Chinese tourists: Previously Chinese tourists visited Korea for business purposes. However the nature of Chinese tourists changed and analysis on the current activities of these tourists indicates that most of them visit Korea for relaxation (Kim et al., 2013). However significant number of Chinese tourists still visits Korea for business. A large portion of tourists from china visit Korea for meeting with their friends and relatives. Analysis on the activities of Chinese tourists indicates that main push factors are -relaxation, social interaction and professional activity. (Refer to appendix 3)

Relaxation: In recent years expenditure of Chinese tourists increased significantly during their visit in South Korea. Although most of the Chinese tourists are attracted by natural beauty and cultural heritage of Korea, the number of people who visit the country for shopping or skincare treatments is also increasing rapidly.

Push factors for Japanese tourists: Most of the Japanese tourists consider Korea as their destination for shopping. Korean War not only led to loss of lives, but it also transformed the traditional South Korean society. Impacts of this war are still evident in Demilitarized zones of Korea. Large number of Japanese tourists prefers to visit Korean War related places. Apart from this opportunity of experiencing rural culture is one of the main attractions for Japanese tourists. The current discussion on the activities of Japanese tourists indicates that these tourists visit Korea for relaxation and educational purposes.

Relaxation: According to Koehler (2012) Japanese tourists focus more on shopping than any other ethnic groups.  Most of the Japanese tourists spend more time in shopping while visiting Korea.  Large number of the Japanese tourists prefers visiting shopping centers, food courts and other entertainment zones in Korea. Although Japanese people prefer more to travel in groups, the number of single tourists is also high in Korea. Analysis on the spending nature of these tourist groups also reflects that most of the Japanese people come to Korea for spending their leisure.

Educational purpose: Although it is observed that Japanese people are more interested in shopping while visiting Korea, demilitarized zones of the country are one of the main centers of attraction for these tourists (Kyoung-Jin, 2012). Most of the tourists who visit areas related with Korean War intend to know about the impacts of war. Understanding the relation between North and South Korea   is also one of the main purposes of Japanese visitors in this country.

Key Push Factors from Three Source Countries

Push factors for tourists from Taiwan:   Number of tourists in South Korea from Taiwan increased due to close relationship between two countries. The tourists from Taiwan visit South Korea not only for spending vacations, but they are also interested for experiencing social life of the country (Oh, 2012). It indicates   that   need for relaxation and social interaction are main push factors for the tourists from Taiwan.

Discussion on the push factors of tourists from different countries indicates that most of the tourists visit South Korea for spending their vacations. However the activities   of   these tourists   are different for each tourist group. Previously the Chinese tourists visited Korea for   fulfilling their professional requirements. Tourists from China preferred more to get experience of the cultural heritage of the country instead of spending on shopping and other entertainment activities. On other hand, opportunities for shopping in South Korea motivated Japanese tourists greatly to visit the country. Analysis on the recent push factors for Chinese tourists indicates that these tourist groups are spending more for shopping and entertainment than other tourist groups in Korea.  Due to instability in Japanese economy, tourists from this country are reducing their expenditure on shopping while visiting Korea. However a significant number of Japanese tourists visit Korea for educational purposes. Tourism between South Korea and Taiwan is influenced by the relationship between toe countries. Need for understanding the society of Korea   is one of the main push factors for tourists coming from Taiwan. However tourists from this country also spend for shopping and relaxation.

Pesonen et al., (2011) opined that pull factors of a destination influences the perception of tourists about that   place. Attributes of a destination are acts as pull factors for the place (Woo, 2009).  However White and Frew, (2013) suggests that analysis of pull factors is effective to identify the potential tourists of a destination.

Analysis of tourists’ activities in South Korea indicates that natural beauty, local cuisine, cultural heritage, shopping opportunities and historical places are the main pull factors of tourists in Korea. However the availability of low cost treatment opportunities also attracts   large   number of medical tourists from different countries in Korea. International tourists in Korea are also attracted by ancient temples and other religious centers of the country. In case of Asian tourists availability of low cost aviation services also act as pull factors. 

National parks and beaches of Korea: There are 20 national parks at different places of Korea (English.knps.or.kr, 2015). These    parks are rich in biodiversity. Conservation of wildlife in these parks attracts many visitors in Korea (Griffin and Raj, 2012). Presence of rare animals also increases the number of tourists in these national parks. Apart from enjoying nature, the visitors of national parks can also experience   several outdoor   activities including hiking, water sports and skiing. However   most of these national parks provide visitors with accommodation facilities. Luxurious accommodation facilities along   with   outdoor activities attract tourists to the national parks of Korea. Large number of tourists visits Korea being attracted by its sea beaches. Every beach of Korea is different from another. Tourists visiting this country are provided with the opportunities of   experiencing water sports in these beaches. (refer to appendix 4)

Analysis on Potential Similarities and Differences

Local cuisine: Korean Cuisine is another pull factor which motivates tourists for visiting the   country (Oh, 2012).  Visitors of Korea are provided   with large variety of seasonal foods. Opportunities for getting experience of unique recipes influence the tourists to visit Korea. Famous seafood also impacts on the number of tourists in the country.

Cultural heritage: The tourists who visit Korea for spending vacations are attracted by rich   cultural heritage of the country. Tourism authority of Korea   promotes   rural    tourism   for   providing the visitors with   experiences of traditional Korean culture. Korea is also famous for several festivals. Different festivals are arranged throughout the year as a part of cultural activities in South Korea.  These festivals in different seasons attract the visitors who want to spent leisure in Korea.

Shopping opportunities: Analysis on the  activities of  tourists from  top  3  source countries  indicates that  most of the  visitors from these countries are attracted to Korea  because of  low cost shopping opportunities.  Seoul apart from being capital of the nation is one of the main centers of shopping. The visitors in Korea get chances of busying products at low cost from both international and Korean brands. Some of the shopping centers of   this country provide duty free shopping opportunities. Variety of products and experiences of low cost shopping is one of the most important motivational factors for international tourists in Korea.

Historical places: Pesonen et al., (2011)stated that presence of historical places in a country   increase the number of tourists   who visit a destination for educational purpose. Although the ancient palaces and other historical places are visited by tourists who come to Korea for educational purposes,   these places also attracts the tourists who come for relaxation. However the relation of Korea with other nations also attracts travelers for visiting   historical places   of the   country.

Availability of low cost treatment opportunities: Presence of advanced technological   infrastructure   attracts medical tourists in Korea (White and Frew, 2013).   Tourists are also attracted by low cost treatment facilities. Most of the medical tourists in Korea visit the country for skin care treatments.  The number of medical tourists requiring diabetes and other complex disease treatments is also increasing.

Places	Features
National parks	·          Wild life ·         Accommodation facilities ·          Outdoor activities
Beaches	·         Natural beauty ·         Water sports ·         Bathing opportunities at Daecheon beach
Seoul	·         Ancient palaces ·         Shopping opportunities ·         Lotte  world  theme   park ·         Cultural centers (Buckchon Hanok  Village,Insa-Dong) ·          Cuisine  centers ·         Medical tourism facilities
Demilitarized  Zones   of Korea	·         Historical  Border  between  North and south Korea ·          Rich   ecology of DMZ ·         Yoelsoe Observatory ·         Aegibong peak
Slow  cities of Korea	·         Relaxation opportunities ·          Ecotourism  facilities
Wetlands   in  Korea (Ramsar  and Uponeup)	·         Migratory  birds ·          wildlife
Natural heritage  destinations of  UNESCO (Jeju Volcanic Island, Lava tubes, Yongcheon cave, Seongsan park, Mount  Hallasan natural Researve )	·          Wildlife ·          Unique Geological  features

Table 2:   Destinations in South Korea and   their features

National parks of Korea:  Pull factors for the national parks of Korea are   wildlife, outdoor activities and accommodation facilities. National   parks are considered as the most visited places by international tourists. As the tourism authority arranges for providing accommodation to the visitors, attractiveness of these parks increases significantly. Although  the national  parks are  used  for  conserving wildlife, tourist get opportunities  for various outdoor activities Infrastructure  for skiing  and other activities  makes these  parks  more attractive to  visitors.

Breaches of Korea: Large number of tourists visits beaches of South Korea for enjoying natural beauty. However the facilities of water sport at Jungmun beach   increase the number of   tourists.  Unique bathing experiences of Daecheon beach also attract the tourists.

Seoul:  Rich cultural heritage of Seoul is its main attraction. ()  suggests that the demand   of   is increasing for growth of tourism. ()   also opines that   both international and domestic tourists prefer to visit theme parks. Presence of Lotte theme park increased the number of tourists in Seoul significantly. Tourists in Korea are also attracted by the unique food courts and low cost shopping streets of the city. As  significant portion of  tourists visit Korea  for  experiencing traditional culture, presence of  cultural centers  like Buckchon Hanok  Village and Insa-Dong   impacts  on the  number of  tourists   in this city. Medical tourists account for a significant portion of total international tourist groups in Korea. Hospitals of Seoul are main centers of medical tourism of the country. Facilities for medical treatments increase attract medical tourists in Seoul.

Demilitarized Zones of Korea: The visitors in Demilitarized Zones of Korea are mainly attracted by the historical border between north and South Korea. Places like Yoelsoe Observatory and Aegibong peak provides the tourists with opportunities of viewing North Korea.  Chances of site seeing at Demilitarized Zones attract more tourists at this place.

Wetlands in Korea:  The wetlands of Korea are visited by tourists as these centers provide the visitors with opportunities of viewing several migratory birds. Natural beauty of this wetland is also at the center of attraction of   the visitors.

Natural heritage destinations of UNESCO: UNESCO declared natural heritage destinations include tourist spots like Jeju Volcanic Island, Lava tubes, Yongcheon cave, Seongsan Park, Mount Hallasan natural Researve etc (English.visitkorea.or.kr, 2015). Jeju Volcanic Island and Mount Hallasan natural Researve are famous for   their   biodiversity. On other hand tourists visit the places Lava tubes and Yongcheon cave for unique geological features.

An (2013) opined that the number of visitors in a   tourist spot depends on the presence of facilities   at that spot. As stated by Prayag and Ryan, (2011) presence of infrastructure is important for the growth of tourism in a country. Analysis of the tourism industry in South Korea indicates that the number of tourists   in the country is increasing.  Most of the tourists who visit the country are attracted by the opportunities of relaxation.   Analysis of the nature of tourists indicates that a significant number of tourists spend their time in shopping during their tour in South Korea.  The shopping centers of   this country provide the visitors with opportunities for choosing the most suitable products from large variety of products. Apart from this at some centers the shopping   is completely duty free. Some shopping centers also provide the buyers with opportunities for free delivery of products at hotels and airports.

Presence of accommodation facilities impacts on the returning of tourists to a place (Conrady and Buck, 2012). As the    tourists in Korea are provide with advanced accommodation facilities even in wildlife   reservation parks, the number of visitors increases at these places.  However the    growth of tourism in Korea is also influenced by presence of sports and other outdoor activities infrastructure. Presence of advanced transportation infrastructure increases the arrival of tourists in a country. As the   availability of low cost airlines increased in   last few years   growth rate   of tourism sectors in South Korea also increased significantly.

Tourism activities of South Korea are mainly promoted by the government. Government websites play an important role in the promotional activities.  The images of   tourist spots in Korea are presented using thus website along with descriptions.  The government also uses online courses for promoting tourism (English.visitkorea.or.kr, 2015). Students who complete these courses successfully are appointed for promoting the tourism activities in Korea.

Although the number of tourists is increasing in Korea, tourism sectors of the country is facing some challenges. With the growth of tourism, the cases of theft and scams also increased significantly in past years.  With the increases in number of tourists, the task of providing accommodation facilities at affordable rate to tourists is becoming difficult. The complaints regarding over pricing of products and   illegal taxis also increased. Hsu and Gartner (2012) opined that   lack of any standard quality assurance policies in tourism sector of   South Korea is   affecting the growth. Growth of tourism in South Korea is limited by inefficient marketing activities (Kyoung-Jin, 2012).

5. Conclusions: 

Analysis on Korean tourism indicates that the sector is experiencing high growth rate in recent year.  Although the government   is   taking   initiatives to promote   tourism, problems related with theft, scam and over pricing are increasing. Increase in the number of tourists also indicates that the existing infrastructure requires being improved for retaining the growth rate of tourism sector.  The analysis also reflects that the nature of tourists in Korea o is changing rapidly and new services require being included for meeting the needs of visitors. Although most of the tourists   in Korea come from China, Japan and Taiwan, identification of potential source countries will   increases the growth rate.

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