Jeju Island’s Tourism Ranking Drops as Busan Tops Summer Vacation Satisfaction

On Sept. 30, travelers are seen visiting Jeju’s Yongduam Rock. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)

JEJU, Oct. 19 (Korea Bizwire) – Jeju Island’s position as South Korea’s favorite tourist spot is slipping. Travel research company Consumer Insight recently revealed that in its summer vacation satisfaction survey, Jeju Island ranked fourth with a score of 723 out of 1000. This marks the first time Jeju has missed the top spot since the survey began. 

The survey determined the scores by evaluating ten factors related to the “attractiveness of travel resources,” such as sightseeing, dining, and recreational activities, as well as the “comfort of travel environment,” which includes cleanliness, pricing, shopping areas, and transportation.

Jeju Island, which faced criticism for high prices and questionable business practices during the COVID-19 pandemic, saw a significant drop of 34 points this year, following a 23-point decrease last year, and it didn’t even make it into the top three. The research firm noted that the island received low ratings for affordability and shopping, mainly due to high prices. 

In contrast, Busan, which is gearing up to host the 2030 World Expo, claimed the top spot. Busan scored 736 points in the evaluation, beating Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province by just one point. Busan has been steadily climbing the rankings, moving up from fourth place in 2020 to finally secure first place, thanks to its high ratings in all travel resource categories, especially food. 

Gangwon Province received positive reviews for its travel resources but suffered due to increasing prices for goods and services. South Jeolla Province, on the other hand, jumped to the third spot, earning praise for both comfort and attractiveness. With Jeju Island’s popularity decreasing, it is expected that cost will remain a crucial factor in people’s choice of travel destination as high prices persist.

Consumer Insight has been publishing these satisfaction results annually in September since 2016, and this year, the company surveyed 17,281 individuals who traveled domestically for at least one night between June and August.

Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)