Last year, the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul surpassed 10 million. This indicates a recovery to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, resembling the record high from 2019.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government reported that 12.12 million foreign tourists visited Seoul from January to November last year. This is 95% of the all-time high in 2019 (12.74 million) for the same period.
The number of foreign tourists in Seoul dropped to 2.19 million (from January to November) during the COVID-19 pandemic, which began in earnest in 2022. In 2023, the figure recorded was 8.03 million.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government noted that the increase in foreign tourist numbers is attributed to the expansion of customized events and tourism content. As a result, Seoul has been selected as the 'Best MICE City' for 10 consecutive years in the 2024 Global Traveler Readers' Awards. Additionally, the world's largest travel platform, Tripadvisor, ranked Seoul as the top city for 'solo travel.'
The city plans to foster differentiated tourism content that foreign tourists can enjoy throughout all four seasons this year. Ku Jong-won, director of the Seoul Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, 'This year is an important year to usher in the era of 3·3·7·7 (30 million foreign tourists, 3 million won per person expenditure, 7 days of stay, and a 70% revisit rate),' adding, 'We will present attractive tourism content that allows visitors to experience a Seoul where they want to stay longer and return.'