The consumption expenditure in South Korea's tourism and leisure sectors plunged by more than 20 percent last year due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the state-run Korea Culture and Tourism Institute(KCTI) on Monday, consumers' expenditure dropped 21-point-eight percent on-year to stand at 134-point-nine trillion won last year.

Spending among South Koreans fell 19-point-five percent, compared to 76-point-six percent among foreigners.

The decline was biggest among travel businesses, shouldering a 83-point-five-percent drop to 471 billion won, followed by the casino industry, duty-free businesses and the airline industry.