In recent years, the pearl of Korea - Jeju Island has not attracted as many tourists as before. Korean tourists have gradually changed their habits, preferring international vacations over domestic ones, leaving Jeju without domestic tourists.
Jeju Island with its wild beauty is considered the "pearl" of Korea.
With more than 90% of Jeju’s visitors being domestic, this trend is putting a lot of pressure on the island’s restaurant, hotel and golf course chains. The Jeju provincial government admitted that about 227 small-scale hotels and motels had stopped operating in the first five months of the year, of which 21 were temporarily closed.
In an effort to restore its reputation, the Jeju provincial government has made efforts by appointing famous Indonesian artist, Anang Hermansyah, as the island's tourism ambassador.
Artist Anang Hermansyah, who has more than 6 million followers on social media, was appointed in June 2024 to attract Southeast Asian tourists to Jeju. In an Instagram post, Jeju Province Governor Oh Young-hun proudly announced the partnership with Hermansyah and praised the relationship’s potential to revive the local tourism industry.
Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun (center) poses for a photo with Anang Hermansyah (right) and his family at the Jeju Provincial Government Office. (Photo: The Star)
Anang Hermansyah was initially widely known as a talented musician, before being elected to the Indonesian House of Representatives for a five-year term in 2014. He now participates in many roles, including being a judge on the "Indonesian Idol" competition and an online content creator with his wife, singer Ashanty, with over 30 million followers.
Now, Anang Hermansyah is using her influence to support Jeju Province, posting videos promoting local restaurants and markets to her more than 5 million Instagram followers.
Jeju is trying to attract domestic tourists, but South Koreans are increasingly favoring international travel. In 2023, the number of South Korean visitors to Jeju will fall 8.3%, from 13.8 million in 2022 to 12.66 million. Meanwhile, the number of international visitors increased from 90,000 to 710,000 in the same period, according to the Jeju Tourism Association, showing a major change in South Korean travel habits.
According to a report by data analytics company GlobalData, Koreans are likely to choose international destinations later this year, with Japan, Vietnam and Thailand being the top choices. Currently, Jeju authorities expect Anang to spread the image of the island and its famous traditional markets through its personal page with millions of followers.
