"방한 외국인 관광객, 쇼핑•식도락 즐겼다"<br /><br />More foreigners visited South Korea for shopping and food last year than in the previous year. <br />And they stayed in the country for longer periods than before.<br />Our Choi Si-young has the latest trend on the nation's tourism sector. <br />According to the latest data released by the culture ministry and Korea Tourism Organization, around fifteen million tourists visited South Korea last year, a fifteen-percent jump from a year earlier when China put a travel ban on group tours to South Korea over the THAAD anti-missile shield spat.<br />And the tourists stayed in South Korea longer than the previous year too,... staying for an average of seven-point-two days.<br />Out of sixteen thousand visitors surveyed at international airports by the ministry, around ninety-two-point-five percent said they came for shopping while seventy-one-point-three percent said they came to taste the local food. <br />The most visited place was Seoul followed by Gyeonggi-do Province, Busan, Gangwon-do Province and Jeju-do Island. Gangwon-do Province saw a bump in visitors due to the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics. <br /><br />The survey also said most of the tourists got travel information from their friends or colleagues.<br />Once they arrived in Korea, most of them searched for information on their smartphone.<br />But, the survey also showed visitors most needed information on travel distances and transportation details, followed by information on local restaurants.<br />The data indicates more foreign guests visit places other than the capital Seoul and that they stay longer to shop and taste local food. <br />The government said it will address the inconveniences mentioned by the foreign visitors.<br />Choi Si-young, Arirang News. <br />
