Korean Job Discussion Forums

Sadebugo1 · Joined: 11 May 2003

Conde Nast Magazine recently published an article on the most visited Asian countries by Americans. They listed 16 countries and Korea was not on the list. I was shocked by some of those that were and it makes me wonder why Korea would be considered less desirable for a visit than some of these. Any ideas? Anyway, here is the list:

1 China
2 Japan
3 India
4 Thailand
5 Philippines
6 Vietnam
7 Singapore
8 Malaysia
9 Cambodia
10 Indonesia
11 Pakistan
12 Nepal
13 Bangladesh
14 Mongolia
15 Myanmar
16 Bhutan

I was especially surprised by Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. Again, why didn't Korea make the list?

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

ernie · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: asdfghjk

u ever BEEN to korea?

soviet_man · Joined: 23 Apr 2005 Location: Seoul

I would rank South Korea at about 10 or 11th place.

I find it almost mathematically impossible that the likes of Myanmar or Bhutan would have a greater amount of US arrivals than Korea, given that both of these countries have so few flights and transport options to even get there.

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

I sincerely doubt that some of those countries get more American visitors than Korea. Where do they get these stats from?! Rolling Eyes

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

Korea's got nice hiking and food, but almost ZERO buildings from before 1950, and a whiny and shovey population. So where's the draw?

cazzy3 · Joined: 07 May 2008 Location: kangwon-do

post the link to the conde nast article because there is NOOOOO way myanmar would rank higher than korea...it's hard enough to get a visa to visit the country.

with all the korean-americans traveling back and forth from korea to the us...the number should be closer to 8 or 9. have you ever seen ALL the planes coming in from the US??? surely they're not all filled w/ just koreans. please send the link so we can verify these stats.

Ukon · Joined: 29 Jan 2008

mnhnhyouh · Joined: 21 Nov 2006 Location: The Middle Kingdom

Also, how many tourists have the USD$200 per day required to be spent in Bhutan?

Poemer · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Location: Mullae

It isn't that hard for me to imagine that, for the most part, the only Americans who have been to Korea are either war or ESL vets. The airplanes that fly out of America ARE usually filled with mostly Koreans.

Sadebugo1 · Joined: 11 May 2003

I went to the Conde Nast site and can't find the article there. I have the hard copy and the article is called 'Occidental Tourists' and is on page 148 of the October issue.

Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/

cazzy3 · Joined: 07 May 2008 Location: kangwon-do

hey...i'll believe it once i see the article...come on OP...we all know if you claim something with statistical evidence, you need to back it up w/ some proof. the article may be completely true, but it may have some side note such as (since 1955), or (among men in their 20s).

it's an interesting bit of info, but i just want to see the article in full. thanks.

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

I have never met anyone who has come to Korea for tourism. Of course, I have met a lot of people who have a friend or family member living here and they come to visit and do some touristy things while they are here, but I would say that doesn't count unless they would have come to Korea without knowing someone here.

Has anyone ever met ANYONE who was planning a trip somewhere and just thought "Hey, you know what, let's go to Korea!" ???

wings · Joined: 09 Nov 2006

I just did a quick internet search and saw on Bhutan's official website that they had 21,000 visitors last year

Korea is hoping to "increase their number to 10 million visitors a year by 2010"

Clearly that list isn't right.

R-Seoul · Joined: 23 Aug 2006 Location: your place

Poemer · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Location: Mullae

Korea's tourism industry is driven by asian tourists, not north american or european tourists. That is why Korea could conceivably have many more tourists than Bhutan etc. but fewer AMERICAN tourists.

It may cost 200 dollars a day to see Bhutan, but yes, anyone flying out of the US to vacation in Asia probably CAN afford it, and would be willing to pay that price to go someplace "exotic." South Korea is not seen as an exotic, exciting tourism destination, these other places are. People see photos in National Geographic and specials on TV about these "strange" asian places, and some of them, a small number probably, decide to book travel there. I doubt much of the same happens for Korea. For most Americans Korea is the place your car or phone or TV was manufactured (assuming they know that Hyundai and Samsung AREN'T Japanese.) It isn't a place you include in your exotic-asian-vacation plan.

Maybe the article is wrong, but I would certainly not be shocked to find out that it isn't.