Antara News·Indonesia·Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 05:23 AM UTC

South Korea dominates North Sulawesi's foreign tourist market

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Nancy L, Asri Mayang Sari

Manado (ANTARA) - Head of the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) in North Sulawesi, Watekhi, said that tourists from South Korea accounted for the largest share of international tourist arrivals in the province in September 2026.

"Based on tourist arrival data, the number of international tourists visiting North Sulawesi in September 2026 reached 10,184, with 5,047 arrivals coming from South Korea, accounting for approximately 49.56 percent of the total international visits," he said in Manado on Tuesday.

He said the figure indicated that nearly half of all international tourists visiting North Sulawesi during the period came from South Korea.

He noted that the province's tourism sector showed positive development in September 2026, as the number of international tourist arrivals increased year-on-year, despite declining month-on-month. This reflected the dynamics of the region's tourism sector.

He said that although the number of arrivals decreased compared with the previous month, it increased compared with the same period in the previous year. He added that domestic tourist travel also showed considerable activity.

In September 2026, domestic tourists made 781 trips. The figure increased year-on-year but declined compared with the previous month. Meanwhile, domestic tourist travel to North Sulawesi reached 1.24 million trips throughout September 2026.

"This achievement demonstrates that the mobility of domestic tourists plays a crucial role in driving tourism in the region," he said.

He further noted that trends in international tourist arrivals, coupled with an increase in the occupancy rate of star-rated hotels, indicated that tourism activity in North Sulawesi remained dynamic.

The large share of South Korean tourists highlighted the importance of international markets in supporting foreign tourist arrivals to the province.

Watekhi said that, given these developments, North Sulawesi's tourism sector had the potential to continue growing through stronger destination promotion, improved service quality, and the development of tourism-supporting facilities.

These efforts were expected to increase tourist arrivals, extend visitors' length of stay, and generate positive impacts on the local economy.

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