▲ Foreign tourists take photos at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 4th.
While the number of foreign visitors to Seoul this year increased by about 22% compared to last year, card spending surged even more, rising by roughly 60%.
According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, cumulative visitors from January to August reached 11.56 million, setting a record high and marking a 21.6% increase compared to the same period last year (9.51 million).
During the single month of August, 1.72 million people visited, which is 23.3% higher than last year (1.40 million).
By country, tourists from three nations—China, Japan, and Taiwan—accounted for 66.4% of foreign tourists visiting Seoul in August.
China had the largest number with 636,000 (36.9%), followed by Japan with 322,000 (18.6%) and Taiwan with 188,000 (10.9%).
Card spending by foreign tourists recorded 7.7813 trillion won from January to August this year, a 59.9% increase from the same period last year (4.8662 trillion won).
Considering that last year's annual spending was 7.9375 trillion won, this year's figure has neared that amount in just eight months.
Based on last year's data, the proportion of card spending by sector was led by shopping at 46.6%, followed by medical and wellness at 23.8%, food and beverage at 13.2%, and lodging at 10.4%.
Spending at large shopping malls increased by 77.5% year-on-year, while medical tourism (64.2%) and general dining (59.5%) also drove the upward trend.
Spending regions expanded to various parts of Seoul, including alley commercial districts and traditional markets.
While foreign card spending in major tourist areas such as Seongsu and Myeong-dong increased by 103.7% and 74.7% year-on-year, respectively, card spending also surged significantly in alleyways and traditional markets such as the Dosan Park area (240.1%), the area near Gyeongsu Elementary School in Seongsu-dong (206.6%), and Gwangjang Market (127.4%).
Details on Seoul's tourism and consumption trends can be found on the Seoul Data Hub website (data.seoul.go.kr/bsp).
Cho Sung-ho, head of the Tourism and Sports Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, said, "Following record-high foreign tourist arrivals in August, tourism spending is also growing rapidly, further amplifying the economic impact of Seoul tourism." He added, "We will strengthen the connection between night tourism content centering on Seoul-style night economy and local commercial districts so that tourists can stay longer in Seoul and tourism spending can spread throughout the city."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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