Let’s get right to it: if you think tourists travel to Seoul or Busan just for Kpop merchandise, cool cafes, or skincare shops, think again. Pharmacies – yes, the places you would usually go to for your headaches – are quickly becoming their favorite place to shop.
But, Why Pharmacies?
Korean pharmacies aren’t just a place to get your prescriptions, they also contain beauty finds that are health-related: salmon dna creams for skin restoration, acne creams that people use for beauty, and lotions you won’t find in the west. It’s similar to a hybrid of a Sephora and a clinic, with a pharmacist in a white coat to explain the properties of every tube and jar.
The Social Media Effect
If you search TikTok or Youtube, you will probably come across some travel vloggers sharing their “pharmacy hauls.” The online hype (basically) has driven the new trend. Yim Hae-min, CEO of Creatrip, said that pharmacy tourism has developed and grown thereafter: once all the lists of ‘must buys’ spread through social media.
Numbers Don’t Lie
One travel platform — Creatrip — reported a 44% increase in pharmacy bookings in its second week of September compared to the prior week. The biggest crowds? Shoppers from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the US seeking products that are not available back home.
Language Barriers? Not here!
Worried you won’t be able to communicate in Korean? Don’t worry. Pharmacies in Seoul and Busan now offer consultation services in English, Mandarin and Japanese. Tourists can sit down, ask questions, and get recommendations directly from licensed pharmacists. Rather than wandering around aimlessly, you will leave with an individualized shopping bag.
Mode to Expand
This train won’t be stopping anytime soon. Creatrip has close working relationships with nine pharmacies and is aiming to grow that to 20 pharmacies by January next year. Basically, doing a “pharmacy crawl” will become as commonplace as going to Myeongdong or going to Busan’s Jagalchi Market.
Let’s Put a Bow on This
Who would’ve thought? Pharmacies have become a travel hot spot in South Korea, bringing together wellness, beauty, and IG finds. Next time you’re traveling, why not forego that mass-produced tourist keychain and make a bee line for the pharmacy aisle instead—you’ll come away with a bag full of cult products and a story to tell your friends when you return!
