According to the local government of Jeju Province, as of today, 227 accommodation facilities, including small-scale hotels and guesthouses, have ceased operations from January to May, of which 21 have temporarily closed.
This figure is dozens of times higher than the same period last year, when only 5 accommodation establishments closed. The main reason for this situation is said to be the sharp decline in Korean tourists to Jeju.
Jeju - Korea's "Hawaiian Paradise"
Jeju has been a favorite domestic travel destination for South Koreans in the past, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic when international travel restrictions forced many to seek domestic travel destinations.
The lifting of international travel restrictions since mid-last year was one of the main reasons for the decline in Korean tourists to Jeju. With the freedom to travel abroad, many Koreans have chosen new and more attractive destinations instead of returning to Jeju, a place they have visited many times. Korean tourists have started to return to tourist destinations abroad, causing the number of visitors to Jeju to plummet.
In addition, the price issue is also a factor that makes Korean domestic tourists no longer interested in Jeju. Many tourists think that the prices of services and food products here are high but the quality is not commensurate. This makes them feel disappointed and do not want to return to Jeju on their next trips.
In addition, fierce competition from other domestic tourist destinations such as Busan, Gyeongju and Ulleungdo Island also contributes to the sluggish tourism in Jeju. Prices of services and tourism products in these places are generally considered cheaper than in Jeju. These tourist destinations have more diverse activities and experiences for tourists, from visiting historical and cultural sites to entertainment, shopping and exploring nature.
Jeju's tourism industry in crisis
Fierce competition from domestic tourist destinations has forced Jeju to change and improve to attract tourists. It is necessary to diversify tourism products, improve service quality and focus on reasonable prices so that tourists have more choices and the best travel experiences.
The mass closure of accommodation facilities is creating difficulties for Jeju's economy, which depends heavily on tourism. Local authorities are working to implement measures to attract tourists back to Jeju, including developing new tourism products, promoting the destination's image and improving service quality.
However, many experts say that more long-term and strategic solutions are needed to revive Jeju's tourism industry, such as investing in infrastructure, developing new tourism industries and diversifying the tourist market.
More than 4.9 million South Korean tourists visited the island in the first five months of this year, compared with 5.3 million in the same period in 2023 and 5.5 million in 2022. There has been an increase in the number of foreign tourists to Jeju. But these visitors tend to stay at large hotels, many of which have business contracts with tour operators that bring foreign tourists to the island through package tours.
