Average spending by foreign tourists visiting South Korea has decreased to a level last seen 10 years ago, data showed.

According to the data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, foreign tourists coming to Korea spent an average of $1,268 per person per trip in the first quarter of this year.

The figure is down 12.1 percent from $1,442 a year ago and marks the fourth quarterly decrease in a row.

Average spending hovered around $1,200 in the mid-2000s but rose to $1,298 in 2010 and subsequently grew steadily every year to peak at $1,713 in 2015.