The K-content craze isn't just trending on screens — it's showing up in flight search data too.
Skyscanner, the global travel app, analyzed its search data and found that searches for inbound flights to major Korean airports in the first quarter of 2026 rose 38% year‑over‑year.
Breaking the numbers down by airport, regional airports showed the strongest gains. Searches for Incheon International Airport, the country’s main gateway, rose 28.8%, while Gimpo climbed 44.1% and Gimhae jumped 66%. The data suggest foreign visitors are spreading their interest beyond the Seoul metro area to regional cities like Busan.
Jessica Min, a travel expert at Skyscanner, says regional cities — with their diverse food scenes, distinctive cultural attractions, and convenient transport links — are catching the eye of international travelers. She added that Skyscanner makes planning regional trips easier with tools like multi-city searches (setting different departure and arrival airports), nearby-airport search, and a trains feature that shows train routes alongside flight results.
▶ K-content boom reflected in flight searches… Korea inbound searches up 38% in Q1 year‑over‑year
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