South Korea plans to attract one million Muslim tourists in one year

South Korea plans to attract one million Muslim tourists as part of its efforts to diversify tourist attractions.

South Korea plans to attract one million Muslim tourists as part of its efforts to diversify tourist attractions.

The number of Muslim tourists visiting the country in the first half of this year reached 511,017, an increase of 9.8 percent over the same period last year, the Korea Tourism Organization said on Sunday.

Muslim tourists came fourth after Chinese, Japanese and Taiwanese in terms of visitor numbers to South Korea in the first half of this year.

The number of Muslim tourists to South Korea reached 870,000 in 2017 and 970,000 in 2018.

The Korea Tourism Organization said that given the growing popularity of Muslim tourists in South Korea mainly in the autumn and winter; it is expected to exceed the barrier of one million for the first time this year.

The Organization began identifying Muslim-friendly restaurants in 2016, and the number of restaurants increased to 250 last year.

The organization also signed an agreement with local governments to designate prayer rooms at residences and tourist facilities.