Source: Dong-A Ilbo · 여행

What happened

According to Dong-A Ilbo (Sept. 4), citing Reuters, Donald Trump met travel-industry CEOs at the White House on Sept. 2 (local time) to address a renewed slide in foreign tourism. Attendees included American Airlines, Marriott, MGM Resorts, and Carnival. The U.S. Travel Association set a target of 100 million international visitors annually by 2030, aiming to strip visa and entry-process friction after inbound numbers fell again following the post-COVID rebound.

The breakdown

Foreign visitors totaled roughly 68 million last year, 5.5% below the prior year; through July this year, overseas arrivals were down 4.7% year-on-year. Brand USA is distributing a “Get Facts. Get Going.” toolkit on visas, ESTA, entry steps, and fees, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection promotes Global Entry and Mobile Passport Control.

For Korea, Brand USA ran Seoul-based Global Entry enrollment interviews this year for conditionally approved applicants. Air capacity is growing: 2026 Korea–U.S. routes offer more than 250 weekly direct flights to 16 destinations, with more than 4.3 million annual nonstop seats. Air Premia added Incheon–Washington Dulles in April; United Airlines launched daily Incheon–Newark service on Sept. 5.

Los Angeles cites FIFA World Cup hosting — more than 560,000 spectators plus 250,000 fan-zone visitors — ahead of Super Bowl LXI (2027) and the 2028 Olympics. New York is preparing a campaign parodying drug side-effect ads, framing sore feet and longing to return as the “side effects” of a NYC trip.

For Korean travelers, the gap persists. U.S. Commerce Department figures show 1,647,142 Koreans visited in 2025, about 72% of 2019’s 2,298,279, even as total Korean outbound travel (29,575,501) fully recovered. Long-haul fares, fuel surcharges, a weak won, local price inflation, and tipping culture inflate costs. Average Korean visitor spending hit $5,220 in 2024 — roughly 7 million won. An industry source told the desk the U.S. remains a high-cost market where hitting 100 million visitors requires entry fixes and more supply and competitive pricing.

Why it matters outside Korea

Seoul expats and diaspora families often split plans between short Asia trips and save-up America itineraries. Federal moves to clarify ESTA and finish Global Entry in Seoul do not reset won-dollar math or tip inflation on a two-week U.S. trip. For airlines and OTAs, 250+ weekly flights against 72% of 2019 Korean demand is the real market signal.

What travelers and expats should watch

• Global Entry in Seoul saves a U.S. interview trip, not airfare: Conditionally approved applicants can enroll locally, but Dong-A Ilbo’s industry source still flags tickets, fuel surcharges, and on-the-ground spend as the binding constraint.
• New Incheon–Newark daily (United, Sept. 5) and Incheon–Dulles (Air Premia): Compare total cost including baggage fees against West Coast gateways; route expansion alone does not guarantee cheaper trips.
• Budget tips explicitly: With $5,220 average 2024 spend on record, U.S. tipping on hotels, rides, and dining can push family trips above spreadsheet math — especially with a weak won.
• Event-city hotel spikes: LA’s World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics pipeline may lift demand; book refundable rates if dates overlap those windows.

Context

Read this as Washington racing to refill inbound headcount after a second downturn, not as “U.S. travel just got cheap for Koreans.” Dong-A Ilbo documents supply-side moves — Get Facts. Get Going., Seoul Global Entry interviews, expanded nonstops — while 72% of 2019 Korean volume and $5,220 per-capita spend show why many still treat America as a premium long-haul purchase.

Source

Dong-A Ilbo: 관광대국 꿈꾸는 美, 입국 허들 낮출까…환율·팁·유류할증료는 부담 — Korean original; paraphrased for briefing; figures attributed to the Sept. 4 report.