4th, 10 a.m., Gyeongju Station in North Gyeongsang Province. Foreign tourists getting off the train looked at their mobile phones and conferred to catch a taxi or bus to start their trip. In the waiting room, other foreign tourists sat as they waited for trains back to Seoul after finishing their trips. Samuel Martinez (38), a tourist from Spain, said, "Gyeongju is a special city where you can directly feel Korea's traditional ancient capital," adding, "The cultural heritage, different from Europe's, is spread across the entire city, which left a strong impression."
On Hwangridan-gil, not only English and Chinese but also a variety of other foreign languages could be heard. The number of foreign tourists visiting Gyeongju surpassed 1 million for the first time on an annual basis last year. Emily Langdon (27), an American attending graduate school in Korea, said, "Seoul and Busan are well known, but Gyeongju is relatively less crowded while allowing a deep experience of Korean tradition," adding, "With the popularity of K-pop Demon Hunters, interest in Korean history has also risen, so more foreigners will come to Gyeongju."
◇ 710,000-plus foreign tourists visited Gyeongju from January to May... up 10.% year over year
According to related industries on the 22nd, foreign tourists visiting Gyeongju, the "millennium ancient capital," are steadily increasing. It is home to UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Bulguksa and Seokguram, and its transportation accessibility—just over two hours from Seoul by KTX—is also a strength. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit week from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 could accelerate this trend. Attention is on whether Gyeongju can use APEC as a springboard to become a foreign tourism hub in the southeast region.
According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, 716,370 foreign tourists visited Gyeongju from January to May this year, up 10.5% from the same period last year (648,296). In particular, March (14.5%), April (14.6%), and May (18.0%) posted double-digit growth rates. Accordingly, there is also a forecast that the number of foreign tourists visiting Gyeongju this year will exceed 1.5 million.
Nationalities have also diversified. According to the Gyeongju city government, the areas most visited by foreigners are Hwangridan-gil and Hwangnam Market. As of last year, tourists from greater China accounted for the largest share at 34.9%, but Europe, North America, and Australia also made up 11%. Japan, Russia, and Türkiye were also evenly represented, a sign that global demand is spreading, according to accounts. Yoshimura Misaki (30) from Japan said, "It has charms similar to Kyoto, yet retains Korea's unique history and atmosphere," adding, "Beyond cultural heritage, the experience of visiting distinctive cafes was impressive."
◇ Local merchants also expect an "APEC boost"
Local merchants are also pinning hopes on an APEC boost. Lee Gi-seong (39), who runs a cafe on Hwangridan-gil, said, "Just a few years ago, most of our customers were domestic, but these days we're getting more foreign customers of various nationalities," adding, "I hope that even after APEC, Gyeongju will establish itself as an international tourist city."
Gyeongju is attracting foreign tourists by leveraging Silla cultural heritage while playing to its traditional strengths and expanding content that suits Generation MZ tastes, such as traditional culture experiences like hanok and hanbok and pop-up stores (temporary shops). Gyeongju World, which has famous roller coasters such as "Draken," is also spreading by word of mouth among foreign tourists.
Its culture and arts infrastructure also provides support. According to the Korean Statistical Information Service (KOSIS), Gyeongju has 13 cultural facilities, the most among North Gyeongsang Province, South Jeolla, and North Jeolla combined. The Gyeongju National Museum surpassed a cumulative 1 million visitors for the year on the 28th of last month. That was 45 days earlier than last year. The museum plans to welcome foreign guests during the APEC summit period with exhibitions and performance programs, including a special exhibition on the "Silla gold crown."
The Gyeongju city government is determined to reestablish its status as a "global tourist city" based on hosting APEC. Hosting APEC typically brings strong promotional effects for cities. Los Cabos, Mexico, was a small resort with a population of 70,000, but after hosting APEC in 2002, it grew into an international tourist city of 350,000. Busan also saw foreign tourists increase 3.5 times year over year after hosting APEC in 2005.
Gyeongju Mayor Joo Nak-yeong said, "The achievement of 1 million foreign visitors in a year is a meaningful indicator that shows Gyeongju's tourism competitiveness," adding, "Through the APEC summit, we will promote Gyeongju as a global city and push forward new tourism strategies targeting the global market."