More of Asia's visitors now arrive somewhere other than the capital. In Korea, more than a quarter of foreign arrivals in 2026 entered through a regional airport or seaport. For an agent, that changes how a programme can be routed: a group that flies into one city and out of another spends less time on transfers and more time in the places it came to see.
Korea: A Quarter of Arrivals Outside Seoul
From January to August 2026, 2.83 million foreign visitors entered Korea through regional airports, up 38.2% on a year earlier, and another 1.36 million through regional seaports, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. Together that is 27.8% of all arrivals.
The government wants that share to grow. At the end of September, the culture minister set a target of 30 million and ultimately 40 million foreign visitors, and named expanding travel into the regions as a priority, together with upgrades to lodging, transport and payment systems.
For groups, Busan and Jeju are the obvious regional gateways. A programme that arrives in Busan and leaves from Seoul avoids doubling back.
Japan: The Regions Beyond the Golden Route
Japan has long encouraged visitors to travel beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Regional airports and the rail network make it practical to start or end a programme in Hokkaido, Kyushu or the Hiroshima area rather than returning to Tokyo.
Air access varies by source market and season, so check whether your clients' carriers serve a regional airport directly or connect through a hub. Where they do, an open-jaw routing usually saves a full day.
Thailand: More Than Bangkok
Phuket already works as an international gateway rather than a domestic extension of Bangkok. For China's October Golden Week, Trip.com Group reported Phuket flight bookings up 78% year on year. Chiang Mai, Krabi and Koh Samui also receive international flights, depending on the source market and season.
For multi-stop Thailand programmes, flying into one region and out of another avoids a return domestic flight.
Indonesia: Bali and the Islands Beyond
Bali's Ngurah Rai airport remains the main international gateway, with more than 4.6 million foreign nationals passing through it from January to August 2026. Beyond Bali, destinations such as Lombok, Labuan Bajo and Yogyakarta are usually reached by domestic flight or boat, so the routing question is about connection times rather than direct international access.
How to Use Regional Gateways
Check the direct flights available from your clients' home market before designing the route. Price the open-jaw ticket against the cost and time of an extra domestic sector. And allow for the fact that regional airports have fewer daily flights, so a delay is harder to recover from.
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Korea's visitors arrive outside Seoul?
From January to August 2026, 27.8% of foreign arrivals entered through regional airports and seaports.
Is an open-jaw routing worth it for groups?
Often, yes. Flying into one city and out of another usually saves a day of travel, but compare the fare against an extra domestic flight.
Which regional gateways work best for groups?
Busan and Jeju in Korea, Phuket and Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Bali in Indonesia. In Japan it depends on your source market's direct flights.
Are regional airports riskier?
They have fewer daily flights, so a missed connection takes longer to recover. Build in a buffer.
Where Explera Fits
We design routings that use the gateway closest to what your clients want to see, in all four destinations.
Write to b2b@expleradmc.com or message +66 93 656 8090 on WhatsApp. Explera DMC is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and an ASTA member (900408341).
