Tourists and pedestrians crowd the streets of Myeongdong in central Seoul on Sept. 13.YONHAP
Seoul drew a record number of foreign visitors in the first eight months of the year, up more than 22 percent on year, according to the municipal government on Tuesday.
A total of 11.56 million foreign visitors reportedly traveled to Seoul from January through August, up 21.6 percent from 9.51 million during the same period last year.
In August alone, 1.72 million foreign visitors came to Seoul, up 23.3 percent from 1.4 million a year earlier.
Tourists from China, Japan and Taiwan accounted for 66.4 percent of all foreign tourists to Seoul that month. China accounted for the largest number at 636,000, or 36.9 percent, followed by Japan with 322,000, or 18.6 percent, and Taiwan with 188,000, or 10.9 percent.
The most visited tourist destinations in Seoul among foreign tourists in August were the Myeongdong area in Jung District, central Seoul, followed by Times Square in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul; the Coex and Bongeunsa Temple area in Gangnam District, southern Seoul; Dongdaemun Market and Gwangjang Market in Jongno District, central Seoul.
Card spending by foreign tourists also surged nearly 60 percent as the number of visitors increased. Foreign tourists spent 7.78 trillion won ($5.8 billion) by card from January through August, up 59.9 percent from 4.87 trillion won during the same period last year.
Shopping accounted for 46.6 percent of foreign tourists’ card spending last year, followed by medical and wellness services at 23.8 percent, food and beverages at 13.2 percent and accommodations at 10.4 percent.
Foreign tourists carrying shopping bags walk through Myeongdong in central Seoul on Sept. 13.YONHAP
Spending at large shopping malls jumped 77.5 percent from a year earlier, while medical tourism rose 64.2 percent and restaurants 59.5 percent, helping drive the overall increase.
Tourist spending also spread to neighborhoods and traditional markets across Seoul.
Foreign card spending in the popular tourist areas of eastern Seoul's Seongsu-dong and Myeongdong increased 103.7 percent and 74.7 percent, respectively, from a year earlier.
Spending also surged in neighborhood commercial districts and traditional markets, rising 240.1 percent near Dosan Park in southern Seoul, 206.6 percent near Kyeongsu Elementary School in Seongsu-dong and 127.4 percent at Gwangjang Market.
“After the number of foreign tourists reached an all-time high in August, tourism spending has also been growing rapidly, further increasing the economic impact of tourism in Seoul,” said Cho Seong-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau. “We will strengthen connections between nighttime content and local commercial districts, with a focus on Seoul’s nighttime economy, so that tourists stay longer in Seoul and tourism spending spreads throughout the city.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
