When travelers book an overnight stay in Korea today, the real decisive factor is no longer the quality of the hotel room, but what lies beyond its front door. According to a comprehensive study released Monday by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), overnight stays across the country grew by 5.1 percent over the past three years. This expansion was overwhelmingly driven by foreign visitors, whose overnight stays surged by 29 percent — a growth rate fifteen times that of domestic travelers (1.9 percent). While domestic tourists still account for 85.4 percent of total room nights, international travelers have emerged as the primary engine of industry growth. Using big data from telecommunications, credit card transactions, and lodging platforms via its Data Lab initiative, the state-run agency revealed a fundamental shift in traveler behavior. Bookings for properties linked to external leisure experiences surged dramatically over the three-year period: golf-themed lodging reservations jumped nearly 200 percent, hot springs properties rose 98.9 percent, and water park accommodations g