Jeju tourism hit by safety concerns after mishandled missing person cases
Summary
Jeju tourism is under pressure after police prematurely closed a missing person case and several other missing people were later found dead. Domestic visitor numbers fell year-on-year on all but one day between Aug. 19 and 29, while foreign visitor growth kept total arrivals up. The Jeju provincial government and tourism industry said the drop cannot yet be tied directly to the controversy, citing weekday-weekend effects and fewer domestic flight seats. The province held a safety meeting and plans faster reporting and response measures for solo travelers.
Key Facts
- Domestic visitor numbers fell year-on-year on all but one day between Aug. 19 and 29, according to the Jeju Tourism Association.
- Domestic arrivals to Jeju fell 1.9 percent to 1.01 million, while total tourist arrivals reached 1.27 million through Saturday, up 1.1 percent from a year earlier.
- The sharpest domestic declines came on Aug. 22 and 25, when visitor numbers fell 11.8 percent and 13 percent from the same days a year earlier.
- The Jeju provincial government convened a meeting on Thursday chaired by Gov. Wi Seong-gon, with police, Coast Guard, fire department, local governments and private safety organizations attending.
- The province plans to work with hotels, accommodation providers and rental car companies to speed up reporting and response when solo travelers go missing or become unreachable, and to expand emergency reporting and location information at major tourist sites.
No. of visitors drops year-on-year since incident draws public attention
A traveler walks with luggage through the domestic arrivals area at Jeju International Airport, Sunday. Yonhap
Jeju's reputation as a safe travel destination is coming under strain after police prematurely closed a missing person case and several more missing people were later found dead.
With domestic visitor numbers falling, concerns are growing over safety on the island.
According to the Jeju Tourism Association on Sunday, domestic visitor numbers fell year-on-year on all but one day between Aug. 19 and 29.
Aug. 19 was when the police’s premature closure of the missing person case began drawing widespread public attention.
"I was planning to travel to Jeju with my family in early September, but we changed our destination to Gangwon Province because of the recent incidents," said Seo Ye-bin, a 26-year-old graduate student. "People are even sharing maps showing where missing person cases were reported. It just feels unsettling to visit Jeju right now."
A guesthouse operator surnamed Park in Jeju City said the fallout appears to be concentrated among Korean travelers rather than foreign visitors.
“We’ve had some cancellations, and almost all of them were from Korean guests, so I think the news is having an impact,” Park said. “Foreign travelers don’t seem to be particularly affected.”
The decline was particularly sharp on Aug. 22 and 25, when domestic visitor numbers fell 11.8 percent and 13 percent, respectively, from the same days a year earlier.
Overall tourist arrivals reached 1.27 million through Saturday, up 1.1 percent from the same period last year, driven by an increase in foreign visitors. Domestic arrivals, however, fell 1.9 percent to 1.01 million.
The Jeju provincial government and local tourism industry, however, cautioned against attributing the decline directly to the recent missing person cases.
They noted that year-on-year comparisons are complicated by differences in the days of the week, as visitor numbers fluctuate significantly between weekdays and weekends. The number of available seats on domestic flights to Jeju has also declined recently, limiting how many domestic travelers can visit the island.
They explained that these factors make it difficult to conclude that the recent drop in domestic visitors was caused by the controversy.
Still, the local tourism association expressed concern that the situation could hurt the island's tourism industry if it persists.
In response to growing safety concerns, the Jeju provincial government convened a meeting Thursday to discuss measures to strengthen the island's safety network for residents and tourists. Chaired by Gov. Wi Seong-gon, the meeting brought together police, Coast Guard and fire department officials, local governments and private safety organizations.
The province plans to work with hotels, other accommodation providers and rental car companies to ensure faster reporting and response when solo travelers go missing or become unreachable. It will also expand emergency reporting and location information at major tourist sites.
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