According to estimates by TravelPress, South Korea’s most important tourism-focused media outlet, 28.6 million Koreans travelled abroad in 2024—more than half of the country’s population. The Czech Republic has long been an attractive destination for South Korean tourists, and this trend continues to strengthen. Korean visitors choose the Czech Republic primarily for its excellent value for money, historical landmarks, and easy access to European culture. Direct flights between Seoul and Prague operate daily during peak season, further supporting accessibility. According to CzechTourism data, the Czech Republic received 255,866 Korean tourists in 2024, a year-on-year increase of +7.45% in collective accommodation facilities. Their average stay lasted 2.65 days, and 91% visited for leisure purposes. Prague, the South Bohemian Region, and the South Moravian Region were the most visited destinations. As for travel arrangements, 67% of Korean visitors used travel agency services, while 20% travelled independently. In terms of travel company, 36% travelled with a partner, 23% in tour groups, and 20% with friends. The age composition of Korean visitors was as follows: 56% aged 30–44, 27% aged 45–59, and 12% aged 15–29. The average expenditure per Korean tourist reached 4,680 CZK per person per day. Unlike the traditional concept of “leisure,” Korean tourists place significant emphasis on cultural enrichment and personal growth, creating specific demands for tourism offerings. Koreans prefer travelling during summer and major holidays, such as Chuseok and the Lunar New Year, leading to seasonal spikes in accommodation demand. However, promoting the Czech Republic in Korea is challenging due to language and cultural barriers. Local travellers rely more on domestic information sources and use the Naver platform instead of Google. Social media influencers play a key role, making targeted collaborations with them and marketing campaigns with major travel agencies essential to strengthen awareness of the Czech Republic. Understanding and working effectively with all these factors is crucial for Czech service providers in the tourism sector and can unlock significant opportunities when executed well.

Eleven Czech organisations offering a wide range of services and products travelled to South Korea at the end of October to present the best of what they can offer. This traditional event was held as part of an economic diplomacy project funded by the Ministry of Regional Development of the Czech Republic and the Moravian-Silesian Region, and organized in cooperation with Moravian-Silesian Tourism and the local office of CzechTourism. The project attracted dozens of representatives from Korean tour operators and influencers and generated significant media interest. This year’s overarching theme was the promotion of travel to the Moravian-Silesian Region, with the aim not only to highlight opportunities for stays in the region itself, but also to showcase its rich spectrum of experiential activities, from cultural events to golf.

Further important information on this topic can be found at the links below:

1. Country report by CzechTourism: https://tourdata.cz/country-reporty/jizni-korea-2024/

2. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea: https://mcst.go.kr/english/index.jsp

 

Interested Czech companies can contact the Commercial Department of the Czech Embassy in Seoul at: seoul.commerce@mzv.gov.cz

Jakub Kopecký, head of the commercial department of the Czech Embassy