Jeju Island Implements Multilingual Guides to Curb Tourist Misconduct Following Post-Pandemic Boom

Jeju Island, nicknamed the “Hawaii of South Korea,” has released a multilingual guide to encourage international tourists to adhere to local regulations and customs following a series of viral tourist incidents.

Last year, over 13 million visitors were drawn to the island, known for its crystalline waters, verdant green tea plantations, and snow-capped shield volcano, Halla-san. The route between Seoul and Jeju is now the world’s busiest air corridor, with approximately 13 million passengers making the one-hour-and-15-minute journey in 2024, according to the International Air Transport Association’s 2024 World Air Transport Statistics report.

Since the conclusion of the Covid-19 pandemic, the annual number of foreign tourists visiting Jeju Island has nearly quadrupled from 48,278 in 2021 to 1.9 million in 2024, according to the Jeju Tourism Association.

In response to this growth and the challenges it has presented, officials on South Korea’s “enchanted island” have printed 8,000 copies of the guides. These guides outline minor infractions for which misbehaving tourists can be fined.

The guides are written in Korean, English, and Chinese, with the aim of informing foreign visitors who may lack knowledge of local regulations and culture.

Infringements such as smoking in non-designated areas, jaywalking, littering, and damaging the environment could each result in a 50,000 KRW ($35.77) fine. The guide warns that these violations may also be punishable by misdemeanor imprisonment or minor fines.

Following the post-Covid surge, as planes and cruises began bringing more tourists to the island province, residents of Jeju started expressing concerns about the misbehavior of foreign tourists. Some shared their frustrations online, such as a viral video in April showing a foreign tourist smoking on a bus in Jeju, which prompted outrage among South Korean commenters.

“Deport and fine that person immediately. If they don’t pay the fine, ban them from purchasing a flight ticket,” one commented under the Instagram video. “Isn’t this basically ignoring our country?” wrote another.

Last summer, a photograph of a foreign child defecating on a sidewalk in Jeju also sparked outrage online, leading many to call for harsher fines for international tourists.

Jeju Island is one of several destinations in the region facing overtourism issues since the pandemic. South Korea’s historical Bukchon Hanok Village introduced a strict curfew last year for non-residents due to complaints from locals about noise levels.

Japan has been distributing etiquette guides and issuing warnings to foreign tourists for cultural faux pas for years. Last year, Kyoto’s historic Gion neighborhood took action against foreign tourists who were reportedly ignoring the rules and taking photos of geisha in prohibited areas. Bali, Indonesia’s most popular tourist island, has grappled with issues related to bad tourist behavior for years as well.

Discussions about the perils of overtourism have escalated in Europe. In countries like Spain, Greece, and Italy, residents have taken to the streets to protest. Last summer, images of local Barcelona residents spraying water pistols at tourists went viral worldwide. This year, protests took place across Spain and Italy, including Venice, while staff at the Louvre in Paris went on a spontaneous strike due to what they felt were unmanageable crowds.

Ruben Santopietro, CEO of Visit Italy, a marketing company for various destinations across the country, emphasizes that respecting the goodwill of residents is just as important as addressing overcrowding issues. “A city where residents are not satisfied is a city that doesn’t function,” he told CNN in a recent interview. “It loses its identity completely. Residents feel excluded and neighborhoods become touristic.”