Seoul Foreign Visitor Spending Jumps 59.9% Jan-Aug, City Data Shows

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Foreign tourists visited Seoul in record numbers between January and August 2026, while their credit-card spending surged at nearly three times that pace. The South Korean capital welcomed 11.56 million international visitors during the eight-month period, marking a 21.6 percent increase from 9.51 million visitors during the same timeframe in 2025, according to data released Tuesday by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and cited by Koreabizwire.

Foreign visitors charged 7.78 trillion won to their credit cards through August 2026, representing a 59.9 percent jump from 4.87 trillion won a year earlier. That eight-month total nearly matches the 7.94 trillion won spent by international tourists via card during the entirety of 2025, highlighting a shift toward economic value alongside growing visitor volume.

Seoul Records High Foreign Visitor Volumes in August

August 2026 alone brought 1.72 million foreign visitors to Seoul, a 23.3 percent increase year-over-year and a record volume for the month. China remained the primary source market with 636,000 visitors, accounting for 36.9 percent of the August total. Japan followed with 322,000 visitors, or 18.6 percent, while Taiwan contributed 188,000 visitors, or 10.9 percent. Together, these three markets supplied approximately two-thirds of Seoul’s international arrivals.

Retail and Medical Services Lead Visitor Spending

Retail accounted for 46.6 percent of foreign visitor card purchases based on 2025 spending data. Medical and wellness services followed at 23.8 percent, with restaurants and other food businesses at 13.2 percent, and lodging at 10.4 percent. Spending at large shopping malls rose 77.5 percent compared to the previous year. Medical-tourism spending climbed 64.2 percent, and restaurant spending increased 59.5 percent.

Geographic Shift in Commercial District Spending

International spending expanded beyond conventional tourist corridors like Myeongdong and Seongsu-dong into smaller commercial districts. Foreign card spending rose 74.7 percent in Myeongdong and more than doubled in Seongsu-dong. Visitors also ventured into localized areas, with card spending near Dosan Park surging 240.1 percent. An area near Gyeongsu Elementary School in Seongsu-dong recorded a 206.6 percent increase, and spending at Gwangjang Market rose 127.4 percent.

Seoul Develops Nighttime Attractions to Extend Visitor Stays

City officials intend to use this neighborhood-level dispersion by developing new nighttime attractions and linking them to local commercial districts, according to Cho Sung-ho, head of the Seoul metropolitan government's tourism and sports bureau. The initiative aims to encourage visitors to extend their stays and distribute their expenditures across a broader section of the city.