By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) announced on Sept. 8 that 1.36 million international tourists visited Seoul in July. This is a 23.1% increase from the same month last year when the figure was 1.1 million, marking the highest monthly record ever.

The total showed an 18.2% rise from July 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitors by country included 470,000 from China, 240,000 from Japan, 160,000 from Taiwan, and 100,000 from the United States.

From January to July this year, a total of 8.28 million international tourists visited Seoul, up 15.9% from the same period last year (5.5% higher than the same period in 2019), setting a new record for the period.

The city analyzed that more global Millennial and Gen Z tourists are visiting Seoul. Growth has been supported by experiential content, safe digital-based transport, modern accommodation, and the city’s blend of tradition with modernity.

K-pop concerts sweeping across the world have also drawn more travelers from Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, and Europe.

This rise is seen as the result of Seoul’s newly envisioned “3-3-7-7” tourism campaign announced in September 2023, which aims to make Seoul a premium travel destination that encourages longer stays and repeat visits with goals of 30 million tourists, ₩3 million spending per person, an average stay of 7 days, and a 70% revisit rate.

This initiative closely followed global travel trends, such as solo travel and new ways of experiencing everyday local life, helping to build a strong foundation for attracting visitors.

To meet these targets, the city has expanded experiential tourism incorporating Korean content, improved infrastructure for solo travelers, and launched year-round festivals under the Fun City initiative, as well as developing new local attractions across the city.