Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

The number of Chinese visitors to South Korea is expected to exceed 6 million in 2026, South Korean Ambassador to China Ro Jae-hun said on Monday. 

This projection is supported by a significant increase in visa issuances last month, with South Korean diplomatic institutions in China issuing 126,904 visas for Chinese citizens in January alone, a sharp rise of 64 percent year-on-year, the Yonhap News Agency reported on Monday.

This surge is not merely a recovery in tourism statistics; it serves as a concrete indicator of the deepening economic and people-to-people ties between China and South Korea, and compelling evidence of the outward reach of China's consumption vitality.

People-to-people exchanges have always served as a crucial barometer of bilateral economic exchanges. The notable increase in visa data and the robust visitor forecast together draw a clear picture of deepening interactions between the two nations. This trend is underpinned by natural advantages such as geographical proximity, as well as the extensive business exchanges fostered by deeply integrated industrial and supply chains. Furthermore, it reflects the continuous policy efforts of both sides to facilitate bilateral exchanges.

For instance, South Korea implemented measures such as granting visa-free entry to Chinese group tourists for nine months beginning in September 2025. This came after China granted visa-free entry to South Korean citizens since November 2024, and data showed that people-to-people exchanges between China and South Korea have since grown rapidly. 

When asked about reports that the top destination for Chinese outbound tourism will be South Korea during this year's Spring Festival, a trend attributed in part to the popularity of the "Korean Wave" and South Korea's visa-free policy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that increasing efforts in facilitating cross-border travel enhance mutual understanding and exchanges between the Chinese and South Korean people. He also extended a welcome to more friends from South Korea to visit China and celebrate the Spring Festival.

The travel boom to South Korea epitomizes the overall recovery of China's outbound tourism and reflects profound changes in its domestic consumption structure. Overseas travel has become a regular lifestyle choice for many Chinese families. For South Korea, the inflow of Chinese tourists translates into substantial consumer demand across sectors including transportation, accommodation, catering, retail, and cultural entertainment, providing a significant boost to related industries.

More importantly, such people-to-people exchanges are quietly reinforcing the public goodwill and social foundation for China-South Korea economic cooperation. Tourism is not merely an economic activity but also a process of cultural exchange and communication. Chinese tourists can gain a deeper understanding of South Korea through firsthand experience, while South Korean society enhances its understanding of China by hosting Chinese visitors. These interactions and mutual goodwill form the social bedrock for the healthy development of bilateral relations, enabling cooperation in trade, investment, and other areas to gain broader and more enduring support.

From a broader perspective, the travel boom to South Korea reflects the sustained release of vitality from China's super-large domestic market and the spillover effect of China's consumption upgrading to neighboring regions. While benefiting its own economy, the growth of China's consumer market also generates positive effects through cross-border tourism and consumption, delivering tangible growth opportunities to other economies. 

As China's outbound tourism market continues to gain strength, Chinese tourists are once again becoming an important force in revitalizing services industries and endowing regional cooperation with deeper foundations and endogenous momentum.

The growing trend of Chinese people traveling overseas represents far more than just a recovery in the tourism market. It demonstrates how China's rising consumption power, through cross-border flows, is transforming into a constructive force promoting regional prosperity. This wave of exchanges underscores the fact that continuously expanding openness, deepening connectivity, and facilitating people-to-people exchanges are not only the desire of the people but also a crucial path to stimulating regional economic vitality and strengthening the foundations of cooperation.