From plastic surgery clinics to tour firms and hotel chains, South Korea’s hospitality sector is wary of the potential impact of a protracted political crisis, as some overseas travelers cancel trips following last week’s brief bout of martial law.
South Korea’s travel and tourism industry, which generated 84.7 trillion won ($59.1 billion) in 2023, around 3.8% of the country’s gross domestic product, has held up through previous bumps in the road, including a 2016 presidential impeachment and periodic tensions with North Korea.
But more than a dozen hospitality and administrative sources said the army’s involvement in the latest political crisis was a serious development that could deter leisure and business travel, when the sector is approaching a full recovery in visitor numbers, which stood at 97% of pre-COVID levels as of October.
