Yanolja Research (Director: SooCheong Jang) announced through its June 17 report, “Revitalizing Regional Airports Through Northeast Asia’s Air Network Analysis,” that the structural imbalance in air service supply between Korea and Japan is limiting accessibility for Japanese tourists visiting Korea and contributing to the growing tourism trade deficit. In 2024, Korea recorded a tourism deficit of approximately USD 10 billion. The report highlights that attracting foreign carriers to regional airports could be a key solution to easing this deficit.
According to the report, of the total 131,349 flights between Korea and Japan in 2024, approximately 92% were operated by Korean airlines. Japanese airlines operated only three scheduled routes: Tokyo–Incheon, Tokyo–Gimpo, and Osaka–Incheon. This Korean carrier-dominated structure primarily caters to outbound Korean travelers and serves as a barrier to inbound Japanese visitors.
Seo Daecheol, Senior Researcher at Yanolja Research, noted, “Korean airlines operate not only to major cities like Tokyo and Osaka but also to regional Japanese cities such as Kagoshima and Takamatsu, actively dispersing supply through regional airports.” In contrast, he pointed out that “Japanese carriers focus solely on the Seoul metropolitan airports (Incheon and Gimpo), limiting entry points for Japanese travelers to Korea.” He added, “Even when Japanese tourists book through their own national airline brand, the actual flights are often operated by Korean airlines, causing inconsistencies in service and booking convenience. This can act as a psychological barrier to choosing Korea as a destination.”
The supply-side imbalance is evident in the actual tourist figures. In 2024, 8.82 million Koreans visited Japan, while only 3.22 million Japanese visited Korea—a 2.7-fold difference. The lack of flight options operated by Japanese carriers for visiting Korea is believed to be a major factor behind this gap and the worsening tourism deficit.
The report notes that while Incheon International Airport recovered to pre-pandemic levels in 2024, handling 77% of Korea’s international flights, key regional airports such as Gimhae, Jeju, and Daegu remain slow to recover. Notably, Japanese airlines operated zero scheduled flights to any Korean regional airports. Yet, 290,000 Japanese travelers entered Korea via Gimhae Airport, entirely dependent on Korean carriers.
The report emphasizes, “The absence of supply does not mean the absence of demand,” and argues that foreign carriers’ entry into regional airports is critical to revitalizing regional inbound tourism. The case of Tokushima Prefecture in Japan is cited as a prime example. In December 2024, following the launch of a new route by Eastar Jet, Tokushima recorded 407 Korean arrivals in just one month—despite having virtually no Korean tourists prior. This was made possible by a coordinated effort among local governments, airports, and airlines, which provided a comprehensive incentive package, including landing fee discounts, travel product development, media promotion, and free shuttle buses. The airline also played an active role in local marketing and crafting tourist itineraries.
The report also highlights the case of flights between Taiwan and Gimhae Airport: “In 2024, 360,000 Taiwanese travelers entered Korea via Gimhae. This is a result of foreign airlines operating scheduled routes to regional airports such as Gimhae, Jeju, and Daegu—demonstrating how diversified regional supply can yield tangible outcomes.”
Professor Kyoo-Wan Choi of Kyung Hee University’s College of Hotel and Tourism Management commented, “Japan has institutionalized foreign carrier attraction as part of its regional tourism policy, working closely with domestic distribution networks to identify latent demand in advance.” He stressed that, “Korea must likewise approach regional airport revitalization from a tourism export perspective, establishing collaborative systems among the central government, local governments, and airlines.”
With ongoing discussions around visa-free cooperation with neighboring countries such as China and Taiwan, the development of regional airport-based marketing and air service infrastructure is increasingly seen as a pivotal turning point for expanding Korea’s inbound tourism.
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