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- The number of inbound visitors posted a continued increase on the back of an increase in the number of Japanese tourists, Southeast Asians and Europeans.

- The number of outbound Koreans recorded the 6th consecutive month of decrease since May apparently due to the impact of the economic recession and the weakness of the local currency     

- The number of inbound visitors in October: 650,504 (a 0.7% y-o-y increase)

       - The number of outbound Koreans in October: 932,715 (a 13.5% y-o-y decrease)

○ The number of Japanese visitors posted a continued increase on the back of their avoidance of travel to distant countries due to the recession and as China as a travel destination due to occurrence of unfavorable incidents there and of Thailand due to the instable political situation. The strength of the Japanese Yen against the Korean Won was also a positive factor.

○ The number of Chinese visitors posted a decrease amid the recession, the drop in their asset value, the shrunken consumer psychology, the phasing out of the national holiday effect and the diversification of travel destinations, with the inclusion of Taiwan and the U.S.

○ By gender, the number of inbound females (8.8%) posted a 2.6% increase, while that of inbound males posted a 4.0% decrease. By age groups, those in their 60s or over (+6.9%) and those in their 20s (+5.6%) posted an increase, while the other age groups posted a decrease: i.e. teenagers (-9.2%), 30-somethings (-2.4%), 40-somethings (-4.5%), and 50-somethings (-4.0%).

○ The number of outbound Koreans recorded the 6th consecutive month of a decrease since May apparently due to the impact of the economic recession and the weakness of the local currency (i.e. -13.5% in October).