Jeju tourism and aviation trends show mixed results

Jeju Air reported that its international transit passenger count exceeded 100,000 between January and July this year, marking an 18.4% increase compared to the same period last year. Chinese nationals accounted for 25.5% of these transit passengers, representing a 74.3% year-on-year increase. Other significant groups included Japanese, Mongolian, Filipino, and American travelers.

In contrast, Jeju Island is experiencing a downturn in tourism. According to the Bank of Korea Jeju branch, the number of tourists visiting the island in July fell to 1.228 million, a decrease of 84,000 compared to the previous year. This decline was driven largely by a drop in domestic tourists, which fell by 90,000, attributed to rising airfares. While foreign tourist numbers saw a slight increase, the growth rate slowed significantly. This reduction in tourism has contributed to weakened consumer sentiment and a slowdown in the local economy, reflected in declining retail sales and credit card spending.