Chinese tourists contribute 1.6 percent of S Korean GDP in 2015
The number of Chinese tourists to South Korea was estimated to reach 6.11 million in 2015, accounting for more than 40 percent of foreign tourists, China Central Television reported.
Most importantly, Chinese tourists spend more. According to data from the Korea Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists averagely spent $2,200 (14,469 yuan) in South Korea last year, twice the average of all foreign tourists.
The data shows more than 70 percent of Chinese tourists visit South Korea for shopping, about 20 percent for experiencing Korean Wave, or Korean popular culture, and others for plastic surgery and sightseeing.
The Korea Tourism Organization estimated that Chinese tourists generated $22 billion of economic benefits in accommodation, transportation and shopping among other fields, which is equal to contributing 1.6 percent of the country's GDP last year.
