South Korea and Other Asia-Pacific Countries Signal a New Intra-Asian Tourism Era as Regional Travel Demand Builds Across Asia

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South Korea and Other Asia-Pacific Countries Signal a New Intra-Asian Tourism Era as Regional Travel Demand Builds Across Asia. The Asia-Pacific region indicates a rise in intra-regional tourism driven by growing demand for travel within Asia. Stronger air connectivity, cultural relativity, ease of travel and interest stemming from neighboring countries are all driving this demand. South Korea has begun to attract travelers to the region with the K-culture, entertainment, and food. Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam are other beneficiaries of the strong regional traveler flow. Official tourism data suggests the Asian markets represent the largest share of the international traveler market for these countries. This is primarily attributable to shorter travel times, cultural interest, cheaper travel costs, and increased connectivity. As the tourism market within the region connects more, countries begin to metamorphose into both major traveler destinations and major traveler source countries.

Intra-Asian tourism is becoming one of the most important forces shaping Asia-Pacific travel. For this analysis, “intra-Asian tourism” means international travel in which both the traveller’s origin and destination are within Asia. In the context of the PATA interview, the clearest interconnected markets are South Korea, China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, supported by major flows from Malaysia, India, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and other neighbouring countries.

Official statistics strongly support Henry C. Oh’s argument. In 2025, Japan welcomed 42.68 million international visitors, Thailand 32.97 million, Vietnam nearly 21.2 million, South Korea 18.94 million, while China recorded 154.5 million inbound visits, including 35.17 million foreign visitors. Asian neighbours form some of the largest source markets for virtually every destination in this group.

Which Countries Form the Core of Intra-Asian Tourism?

There is no official organisation called the “intra-Asian tourism group”, so there is no fixed membership list. In the context of regional tourism flows discussed at PATA, the most relevant markets can be grouped as follows:

Official tourism statistics from Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea repeatedly identify neighbouring Asian markets among their most important inbound sources, demonstrating that intra-regional travel is not a niche segment but a central part of Asian tourism demand.

How Big Is Intra-Asian Tourism Between These Major Destinations?

The clearest way to understand the scale is to look at individual cross-border flows.

Japan’s official 2025 figures show 9,459,600 South Korean arrivals and 9,096,300 Chinese arrivals, while Thai travellers contributed another 1,233,100 and Vietnamese visitors 678,500. Japan therefore illustrates the extraordinary scale achievable when proximity, airline connectivity, repeat travel and strong destination appeal work together.

Vietnam provides another striking example. Of its nearly 21.2 million international visitors in 2025, 16.6 million — 78.6% — came from Asia. China generated 5.3 million arrivals and South Korea another 4.3 million, meaning those two Asian neighbours alone produced approximately 45% of Vietnam’s entire international market.

Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports’ preliminary 2025 dataset records 32,974,321 international arrivals, including about 21.28 million from North-East, South-East and South Asian markets combined. Malaysia supplied 4.52 million, China 4.47 million, India 2.49 million, South Korea 1.56 million and Japan 1.09 million, showing that approximately two-thirds of Thailand’s international visitor base came from Asian markets when these regional classifications are combined.

Why Is Japan Such a Powerful Magnet for Asian Travellers?

Japan’s 42.68 million international visitor arrivals in 2025 represented an all-time annual record, with South Korea, China and Taiwan alone contributing more than 25 million trips. South Korea was the largest market at 9.46 million, followed closely by China at 9.10 million and Taiwan at 6.76 million.

JNTO links travel performance across Asian markets to factors including sustained popularity of travel to Japan, holiday periods, school breaks and expanded or restored air capacity. The numbers indicate enormous repeat-travel potential because Japan can draw from several large populations within relatively short flying distances rather than depending overwhelmingly on European or North American long-haul demand.

That momentum remains visible in 2026. Japan welcomed 21,084,800 international visitors during the first six months of 2026, with South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and India among markets setting June records.

Why Is South Korea Becoming a Bigger Regional Tourism Magnet?

South Korea’s growth supports one of the central points made in the PATA interview: K-culture can translate cultural influence into physical travel demand.

South Korea welcomed a final 18.94 million foreign visitors in 2025, an all-time record. Government analysis specifically attributed the expansion to the international popularity of the Korean Wave and strategies connecting tourism with Korean culture.

China was identified as South Korea’s largest visitor market, while Japanese arrivals were expected to reach around 3.61 million in 2025, surpassing the previous Japanese market record from 2012. The Government also reported a 27% rise in Taiwanese visitors, connecting that growth with cultural marketing involving areas such as K-food and Korean baseball.

The momentum accelerated further in 2026. South Korea passed 10 million foreign visitors by 21 June 2026, about one month earlier than in 2025; in May alone, China supplied 560,000 visitors, Japan 360,000, Taiwan 190,000 and Hong Kong around 60,000.

This directly reinforces Oh’s argument that K-drama, Korean popular culture and cultural curiosity can generate regional tourism exchanges rather than merely overseas media consumption.

Why Has Vietnam Become One of Asia’s Strongest Regional Tourism Winners?

Vietnam may offer the clearest statistical evidence for the strength of intra-Asian tourism because almost four out of every five international visitors in 2025 came from Asia.

Official Vietnamese tourism authorities point to several competitive advantages: the country is regarded as safe, stable and culturally distinctive, while competitive travel costs, improving service quality, more liberal visa arrangements, stronger international aviation links and tourism promotion have supported inbound growth.

China and South Korea remain especially powerful. During the first six months of 2026, Vietnam had already welcomed 2.7 million visitors from China and 2.16 million from South Korea, meaning the two markets again represented roughly 40% of all international arrivals.

Vietnam’s official target is 25 million international visitors in 2026, compared with the record 21.2 million achieved in 2025.

Why Does Thailand Remain Central to Intra-Asian Tourism?

Thailand combines strong North-East Asian, ASEAN and South Asian demand in a way few destinations can match. Its 2025 market included millions of travellers from Malaysia, China and India, alongside substantial flows from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s 2026 strategy provides a useful explanation of what it expects regional travellers to seek. For short-haul markets, TAT is emphasising food, entertainment and relaxation, while the broader national proposition incorporates hospitality, gastronomy, wellness, culture and meaningful experiences.

Thailand welcomed 32.97 million international visitors in 2025, and by 2 June 2026 had already received more than 14 million. TAT’s June outlook projected approximately 33 million international arrivals and total tourism revenue of 2.65 trillion baht for 2026.

Where Does China Fit Into the Intra-Asian Tourism Equation?

China is simultaneously one of Asia’s largest tourism destinations and one of its most important potential outbound source markets.

Official Ministry of Culture and Tourism statistics show 154.5 million inbound tourist visits in 2025, up 17.1%. Of these, 35.17 million were foreign visitors, up 30.6%, while 119.32 million arrivals were generated by residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

China’s inbound tourism expenditure reached about US$131.1 billion in 2025. Visa facilitation is becoming a major growth mechanism: nearly 30.1 million visa-free foreign entries were recorded during the year, and China currently provides visa-free access to citizens of dozens of countries alongside a 240-hour transit-visa exemption system covering numerous entry points.

Government tourism reporting has also highlighted experiences such as rail travel, drone shows, traditional Chinese medicine massages, Hanfu clothing and hotpot as increasingly visible components of the international visitor experience.

How Big Could Intra-Asian Tourism Become?

South Korea’s Government is preparing for an eventual 30-million-visitor era, including the planned 2027–2029 Visit Korea Year campaign, expanded regional tourism, K-culture experiences, accommodation improvements and easier travel infrastructure.

Japan’s newly approved 2026–2030 Basic Plan for the Promotion of a Tourism Nation keeps its target of 60 million international visitors and ¥15 trillion in inbound travel expenditure by 2030, while also stressing regional dispersal and management of overtourism.

Vietnam is targeting 25 million international visitors in 2026, while China’s official tourism research forecast anticipates around 163 million inbound visits and 36.66 million foreign arrivals during 2026.

What Does This Mean for the PATA Interview?

The statistics make Henry C. Oh’s observation particularly important. Asia does not need to depend only on visitors arriving from Europe or North America to generate major tourism growth. China can send travellers to Japan, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam; Koreans can travel in enormous numbers to Japan, Vietnam and Thailand; Japanese visitors can move through Korea and South-East Asia; and ASEAN markets can increasingly travel both within South-East Asia and northwards towards Japan and Korea.

The future opportunity therefore lies in regional aviation, easier visas, cultural exchange, technology, food, entertainment, popular culture and repeat travel. Official evidence already shows that this cycle is operating: Japan receives millions from Korea and China, almost 79% of Vietnam’s visitors come from Asia, Thailand draws roughly two-thirds of its international market from Asian countries, and South Korea is converting the global reach of K-culture into record inbound demand.

This gives PATA a potentially valuable role as a connector. If destinations share marketing expertise, introduce emerging cities through smaller events, improve regional connectivity and reduce cultural and language friction, intra-Asian tourism could become an even larger self-sustaining travel ecosystem — with Asian countries functioning simultaneously as major destinations and major source markets for one another.

PATA Annual Summit 2026: Henry C. Oh Sees Asia Tourism Entering a Stronger Era of Regional Exchange

Asia-Pacific tourism has a major opportunity to deepen regional travel, strengthen cultural exchange and bring emerging destinations into the international spotlight, according to Henry C. Oh, Chairperson of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), who spoke exclusively with Travel and Tour World during the PATA Annual Summit 2026 in Gyeongju.

In the interview, Oh outlined a vision centred on rebuilding PATA’s global standing, reconnecting its international structure with local chapters, supporting destinations that have received less exposure through major industry events and encouraging stronger intra-Asian tourism flows. He also highlighted the growing influence of popular culture, technology and changing traveller attitudes in breaking down barriers between destinations across Asia and the Pacific.

Why Does Gyeongju Matter to PATA and Korean Tourism?

Hosting the PATA Annual Summit in Gyeongju carries particular significance for South Korea and for Oh personally. He described his pride in welcoming PATA members to his home country and pointed to Gyeongju’s historical importance as one of Korea’s former royal centres.

According to Oh, delegates attending the summit had an opportunity to experience not only the event programme but also a destination rich in ancient heritage, including historic royal tombs and other cultural attractions. He encouraged visitors to explore the city after conference sessions and experience the historical landscape first-hand.

Oh also drew attention to South Korea’s long relationship with PATA events. He said Korea had hosted major PATA gatherings six times, roughly once every decade, and suggested that future events could help introduce additional Korean cities to international tourism audiences.

His comments underline an important role that major travel-industry gatherings can play beyond meetings and networking. By placing delegates, tourism executives and media representatives directly inside a destination, an event can effectively become a platform for destination discovery.

What Is Henry C. Oh’s Main Priority as PATA Chair?

One of Oh’s clearest priorities is rebuilding the strength, visibility and reputation of PATA.

He reflected on the association’s long history, noting that PATA has operated for approximately 75 years and was once one of the most influential organisations representing tourism across Asia and the Pacific. In his assessment, some of that prestige and influence has weakened over time.

His goal as chair is therefore to strengthen PATA’s standing and restore the trust, respect and global recognition that he believes defined the organisation during earlier decades.

However, Oh indicated that this cannot be achieved only through international conferences or institutional positioning. He sees local PATA chapters as central to the organisation’s future and intends to engage directly with members across different countries.

For him, rebuilding the organisation means reconnecting those local communities with the wider international PATA network.

Can PATA Bring Its Local Chapters Closer Together?

Oh described the relationship between PATA International and its local chapters as an area requiring greater attention.

His objective is to bring members back under a stronger common PATA umbrella and reduce what he views as an existing gap between the international body and locally based chapters. Visiting chapters, meeting members and spreading what he described as the PATA spirit will form part of this effort.

The intention is not simply organisational. Oh wants local members to feel stronger pride in belonging to PATA and to understand their role within a much larger Asia-Pacific tourism network.

Such engagement could also create greater opportunities for knowledge-sharing between destinations with different levels of tourism development.

Could Smaller PATA Events Open Doors for Emerging Destinations?

The interview also explored why some countries and cities have hosted PATA conferences more frequently than others.

Oh acknowledged that newly developing tourism destinations could benefit from greater opportunities to host PATA activities. Rather than immediately asking emerging destinations to stage major annual summits or large trade events, he proposed a more gradual approach.

Smaller-scale PATA events could allow destinations to experience hosting an international tourism gathering, understand operational requirements and build confidence before progressing to larger events.

This approach, according to Oh, could help newer destinations demonstrate their potential while gaining greater visibility among tourism professionals.

It would also give PATA another mechanism for expanding its geographical reach instead of concentrating major activities repeatedly in established host destinations.

Why Does Oh See Huge Potential in Intra-Asian Tourism?

One of the strongest themes of the interview was the opportunity for tourism exchange within Asia and the Pacific itself.

Oh pointed to the growing global attraction of Korean culture and Korean drama, which has increased interest in visiting South Korea. At the same time, travellers across the region are showing strong interest in destinations including China, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam.

He described this two-way movement as one of the region’s greatest opportunities.

Rather than viewing Asia-Pacific tourism mainly through the lens of arrivals from Europe or North America, Oh sees enormous potential in travellers moving between countries within the region.

Koreans travelling to Vietnam, international visitors drawn to Korea through popular culture, and travellers moving between major Asian destinations could collectively strengthen tourism revenues across multiple economies.

How Can PATA Help Destinations Promote Themselves Better?

Oh argued that not every tourism destination has the same level of knowledge or experience when it comes to international promotion.

Some destinations, particularly those still developing their tourism industries, may have strong attractions but limited understanding of how to package, market and communicate those experiences effectively.

This is where he believes the PATA network can provide practical value.

Experienced members can share knowledge with emerging destinations, offer advice and demonstrate methods that have worked elsewhere. Conferences and summits also provide opportunities for tourism professionals to meet people who have successfully developed and promoted destinations.

Oh described networking as one of the platform’s greatest strengths because it creates a space where destinations can learn directly from peers rather than developing tourism strategies in isolation.

Is Technology Breaking Asia’s Language Barriers?

Language was another major subject in the conversation, particularly because Asia-Pacific tourism involves travellers moving between countries with very different linguistic backgrounds.

Oh acknowledged that language barriers were once a major challenge. He used South Korea as an example, noting that English was less widely spoken among earlier generations.

He believes that situation is changing quickly.

Younger generations across many countries increasingly learn English, while smartphones and translation technologies are making communication possible even when travellers and local service providers do not share a language.

Oh explained that technology now allows travellers to communicate with taxi drivers and other local people through mobile translation tools.

For tourism, this represents a significant shift. Destinations that may once have appeared difficult to navigate because of language differences are becoming more accessible to independent travellers.

Can Cultural Differences Become Tourism Strengths?

Oh took a similarly pragmatic view of cultural barriers.

He argued that cultural traditions cannot and should not simply be changed for visitors. Instead, travellers and destinations need mutual respect, understanding and gradual adaptation.

He illustrated this through food.

Sushi was once unfamiliar to many Western consumers because of the idea of eating raw fish, yet it subsequently became a highly valued international cuisine. Korean kimchi faced a similar challenge because its flavour and preparation were unfamiliar to many overseas diners, but it has since become increasingly recognised around the world.

For Oh, these examples show that cultural unfamiliarity does not necessarily remain a permanent barrier.

Exposure, time and greater understanding can transform something initially considered unusual into a major cultural attraction.

What Does Oh’s Vision Mean for Asia-Pacific Tourism?

The interview at the PATA Annual Summit 2026 presents a vision of Asia-Pacific tourism built on stronger regional connections rather than isolated destination growth.

Oh wants PATA to restore its influence by reconnecting its chapters, supporting emerging destinations, creating opportunities for smaller markets to participate in industry events and sharing expertise across borders.

At the same time, he sees powerful external forces already reshaping travel: Korean popular culture is drawing international attention, regional travellers are increasingly exploring neighbouring countries, smartphones are reducing language difficulties and food is demonstrating how cultural differences can become attractions rather than obstacles.

Taken together, his message is straightforward. Asia and the Pacific already possess the destinations, cultures and traveller demand required for stronger tourism growth; the opportunity now lies in improving cooperation, exchanging knowledge and giving more destinations the platform to participate in that growth.

Conclusion

New Era of Intra-Asian Tourism as Regional Travel Demand Strong in Asia: Signaled by South Korea and other Asia Pacific countries. As the leading Asian destinations focus on regional visitors for their growth strategies, inter-Asian tourism continues to expand at an unprecedented pace. South Korea’s K-culture, Japan’s inbound demand, Vietnam’s Asian source markets dependency, and Thailand’s strong regional visitor market demonstrate inter-Asian tourism growth. China continues to be an influential source market and a key destination as well. The momentum of inter-Asian tourism will continue to grow as more airlines operate, visas are made more flexible, cultural activities are adopted and exchanged technology are put in place. The Asia-Pacific region’s tourism could slowly begin to cater mainly to the regional customer as other countries begin to work more closely together. This would ultimately lead to greater volumes of tourism and higher revenue and more tourism-related development.