Average spending by foreign tourists in South Korea reached a near ten-year low after falling for a fourth consecutive quarter.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization on Tuesday, foreign tourists in the first quarter of this year spent an average of one-thousand-268 U.S. dollars, down 12-point-one percent from a year ago and commensurate with spending in 2010. 

By nationality, Chinese tourists spent an average of one-thousand-735 dollars, followed by Taiwanese at one-thousand-131 dollars and Americans at one-thousand-103 dollars. They all marked decreases from the same period last year.

Foreign tourists stayed an average of six-point-nine days in South Korea, just under the full week averaged in the first quarter of the previous year. 

The ratio of return visits marked 59-point-two percent, up four-point-seven percentage points on-year. The satisfaction rate of foreign tourists was recorded at 93-point-nine percent, a point-two percentage point gain over last year.

After peaking at one-thousand-713 dollars in 2015, average overseas visitor spending began to dip in 2016 following travel and goods restrictions applied by China following disagreements about an American missile defense shield deployed in Korea.

The number of Chinese visitors to Korea subsequently nosedived due to these restrictions.