The number of foreign tourists who visited Seoul in the first half of this year and their card spending hit all-time highs.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the 29th that 8.23 million foreign tourists visited Seoul from January to June this year, up 21.3% from the same period a year earlier. During the same period, their card spending while staying in Seoul rose 56.8% to 5.6172 trillion won. Both the number of tourists and card spending are all-time highs.
By nationality, China had the most foreign tourists to Seoul with 2.47 million. It was followed by Japan (1.5 million), Taiwan (880,000), and the United States (620,000).
City officials noted that foreign tourists' spending rose more steeply than their numbers. Monthly card spending by foreign tourists topped 1 trillion won for the first time in April, then stayed in the 1 trillion won range for three straight months through May and June.
The city said the increase reflects more tourists moving beyond major sights to directly experience Seoul's culture and daily life through K-content and festivals, the Han River, and food, beauty, and wellness, expanding both their length of stay and spending opportunities.
By sector, shopping and medical/wellness emerged as the two main pillars driving foreign tourist spending in Seoul. Shopping accounted for the largest share at 46.4% of total card spending, followed by medical/wellness at 24.4%. Food and beverage made up 13.1% and lodging 10.7%.
By area, three districts—Gangnam, Jung, and Mapo—accounted for 65% of total spending. Gangnam-gu took the largest share with 29.3% of foreign card spending, followed by Jung-gu (28.4%) and Mapo-gu (7.3%).
In the second half, the city will expand nighttime tourism content along the Han River and in the downtown so foreign tourists can enjoy Seoul not only during the day but also in the evening and at night. It plans to consolidate major attractions with nearby food, shopping, and cultural content and local commercial districts to increase both the range of movement and length of stay for tourists.
To turn the increase in tourist numbers into real tourism revenue and local economic vitality, the city will also accelerate the development of high value-added tourism industries such as medical tourism, MICE, and premium tourism.
First, in medical tourism, the city will build a one-stop entry and exit platform that provides consolidation of medical care, visas, lodging, and tourism, and expand medical tourism interpreter coordinators from the current 108 to 1,000. It will also identify medical-friendly lodging so foreign patients can stay in Seoul before and after treatment and have a stronger base for sightseeing.
In MICE, the city will expand "bleisure" programs that blend work and leisure so international conference participants can experience Seoul longer before and after business schedules. It will also strengthen the workation hub functions of the Seoul MICE Plaza to encourage longer stays and repeat visits.
In premium tourism, the city will host "Explore Seoul with Connections," joined by luxury travel buyers from 11 countries, to conclude a total of 620 business-to-business consultations and broaden overseas distribution bases for high value-added tourism products.
Cho Sung-ho, head of the Seoul Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, "We will continue to expand diverse tourism content to sustain the growth of Seoul tourism," adding, "In the second half, we will link more hands-on tourism content more closely with local commercial districts so visitors can enjoy every corner of Seoul and the benefits can spread to neighborhood businesses and the broader local economy."