The number of foreign tourists reached a new historical
record of 16.0 million persons in 2010. Although the inbound
tourists during the second quarter was adversely affected by the
domestic political unrest, the tourism sector displayed a
remarkable recovery in its aftermath, owing to the improvement
of the global economic conditions, led by emerging market
economies, especially within the Asian region.
As a result, the
number of foreign tourists from East Asia, which accounted for the
largest share, together with tourists from Russia, Middle East, and
South Asia, increased markedly. Meanwhile, the share of foreign
tourists from the G3 countries dropped slightly, indicating a slow
economic recovery within the area.