Seoul is seeing massive growth in tourism as global tourists recuperate and spend lots of money in South Korea.
According to records from the city, the first half of the year was the best ever for tourism as the number of tourists and their expenditure hit an all-time high.
About 8 million international tourists visited Seoul between January and June, along with increased expenditure by more than 50 percent when compared to the previous year.
This shows that tourism is past the phase of just recovering in terms of tourists numbers as tourism industry focuses on moving into a different phase of tourism where tourists spend prolong visitation in Seoul, enjoy more and explore more.
Seoul Records 8.23 Million Tourists in 6 Months.
The Seoul Metropolitan government released the data, which shows that around 8.23 million international tourists visited the capital in the first half of the year, which is a growth of nearly 21.3 percent since last year.
This growth is crucial for the city as international tourism is becoming a vital part of the economy and global image of Seoul.
For many years, people have been flocking to the city to experience its cuisine, entertainment, fashion, beauty, culture, and shopping, but the most recent data indicates that visits are increasing.
The number of international tourists during the first part of the year reached a historical high for Seoul.
Foreign Visitors Increase Spending by 56.8 Percent
The statistics on the number of visitors visitors are not the only ones that reached historical levels.
Foreigners who traveled to Seoul spent much more than local residents.
In total, international visitors of the city used their credit cards to acquire goods and services worth 5.62 trillion won, while this number is equivalent to the amount of 71 trillion Indonesian rupiah.
Thus, the increase in expenditures exceeded the increase in the number of visitors.
That is why this detail is extremely important in the tourism industry.
A city can attract millions of tourists and receive a little in return in terms of economic benefits, but in the case of Seoul all the tourists are coming back with more money.
Surge of Tourists that Goes beyond the Statistical Data on Their Numbers
The authorities of the capital city of Korea argue that the most recent information implies the transformation of the local tourism environment.
That is to say, the growth of tourist spending dramatically outstrips the increase in the number of visitors, meaning that tourists are likely to stay longer and purchase more goods and services.
This points to the fact that instead of tourism which is solely about sightseeing, it is becoming much more diversified offering different kinds of services, such as shopping, medical aid, food, beauty procedures, entertainment, etc.
From the viewpoint of local entrepreneurs, it is a great news.
The tourist who is in the capital for a few more days has more opportunities to visit restaurants, buy something, go shopping, get medical treatment, and try out various entertainments.
Shopping Dominates in Foreign Tourists’ Credit Card Transactions
Shopping is the largest part of the foreign visitors’ credit card transactions in the capital of South Korea.
The shopping category constitutes 46.4% of the total amount spent by international tourists with credit cards.
The city features all sorts of things ranging from high-end department stores and international brands to Korean clothing, cosmetic and skin care products, character products, and specialized shopping streets.
The influence of Korean culture has also increased the global influence of the products connected to Korea.
The tourists now often come with definite shopping lists, especially when it comes to beauty products and clothing, food, and other items that might be difficult to find or costly in their countries.
Medical and Health Tourism Comes Second
The expenditures made by foreign visitors related to medicine and health were the second biggest share in their credit card expenses.
This industry accounted for 24.4 % of all expenses.
South Korea has established a good reputation on the international stage thanks to its medical services, especially in cosmetic procedures, dermatology, health examinations, various treatments, etc.
Seoul is the main hub for this industry as it combines a large density of hospitals and clinics and developed tourist infrastructure.
As a result, foreign visitors can easily choose to receive medical or beauty services during the trip.
Spending in Shopping Centers Increased by 73.2%
A significant rise in spending can be observed in shopping centers throughout Seoul.
In terms of finances, foreign tourists spent almost 1.22 trillion won in shopping malls in the first half of the year, as opposed to 706.3 billion won spent in the same time period during the previous year.
This was the increase of 73.2%.
This number shows that retail tourism is one of the significant factors in the economy of the city.
Shopping malls give people possibilities to purchase fashion items, cosmetics, electronics, food, luxury products, and entertainment in one place.
That is why these places are a big attraction for tourists, spending their time and money in malls.
Medical Tourism Spending Increased by 63.3%
A considerable increase was registered in the area of medical tourism in the city as well.
The amount of money spent in this sector reached about 908.4 billion won that is 63.3% increase in comparison with the amount of money spent by foreign travelers last year that was 556.3 billion won.
Medical tourism offers an array of advantages in terms of economy beyond the medical treatment.
Tourists who travel to Seoul for medical purpose might go for stay in hotels, eat from restaurants, shop and sightsee the city.
Hence, medical tourism extends its impact to economy beyond providing the medical care to individuals.
Food is another key dimension of tourism in Seoul.
Expenditure of foreigners on food increased by 54.5 percent.
Food tourism is a kind of tourism that includes people who travel to different destinations in order to taste food that they have heard about mainly from movies and social media.
Consequently, Seoul represents various types of food, including Korean barbecue, fried chicken, traditional food markets, cafes and modern restaurants.
Food tourism is a tourism type that has one advantage over others as it means that food in needed for everybody.
Therefore, as a result of international tourism growth, restaurants and food industry in general in Seoul can profit from additional food demand.
The Effect of Beauty Products on International Tourism
The beauty product market has seen a notable jump in expenditure.
This is yet another field where Korea has succeeded in establishing a strong position in the global market.
Korean consumer goods have gained an immense following worldwide, triggering considerable interest among foreign tourists.
For tourists, the trip to Korea means the chance to buy Korean beauty products right from the local outlets.
The shopping experience can be an intricate part of the travel with tourists going around different beauty shops, trying various products, and buying the things they enjoyed.
Reasons Why Seoul Becomes a Stronger Competitor
There are several reasons why Seoul is gaining popularity among shopping tourist.
The city possesses developed retail infrastructure and strong cultural identity.
The tourists can shift from one luxury shopping district to another; thus, they can enjoy their time visiting shopping arcades, department stores, underground shopping centers, traditional markets, beauty stores, and others.
At the same time, Korean pop culture led to the rise of awareness about the products related to this country.
A person can be interested in Korean movie/TV/music/interior design/cuisine culture and spend money shopping in many different categories.
Seoul Metropolitan Government Moves to Boost City’s Night Tourism
Seoul Metropolitan Government looks beyond day tourism with its plans to boost night tourism.
Using the second half of the year, officials are looking to expand tourism options for both evenings and nights.
The aim of the initiative is to make international tourists experience Seoul after dark rather than just be confined with daytime tourism.
The initiative can help increase the ways in which tourists can spend money.
Hence, by staying active during the night, visitors will have more chances to eat in restaurants and shop, visit cultural sites, go to entertainment events and discover night districts.
The Revival of Food, Shopping, and Culture at Night
The city’s night tourism strategy is likely to raise the focus on food, shopping, culture, and entertainment, with the sights and sounds of major tourist attractions.
The approach will allow for spreading of tourists’ expenses among more businesses and longer time of spending.
Instead of guests visiting an attraction during the day and returning home for the night, the major idea is to make them stay for longer periods.
Such journey provides more economic possibilities and gives the tourists a broader understanding of the city of Seoul.
Increased Length of Stay as a Tourism Trend
The quick growth of expenditures in comparison with the number of tourists might also mean that people spend more time in the place.
Longer stays are very important for destination cities in terms of urban tourism.
When travelers are in the city for two nights they have less opportunity to spend money than people traveling for five or six nights.
More days in the city give tourists more opportunity to visit restaurants, shop in stores, do cultural things, visit doctors, and take excursions.
This creates an incentive for the city to attract not only new travelers but also to persuade the travelers to spend more nights in the place.
Night tourism is projected to play an important role in this process.
Increased Diversity in the Tourism Sector of Seoul
Although shopping is the biggest category, the newly published statistics show that foreigners make contributions to different sectors of the economy.
Retail trade, medical sector, food services, and cosmetics are growing remarkably fast.
Large shopping centers can benefit from international visitors, but so can restaurants, independent beauty stores, medical clinics, cafés, cultural venues, and local retailers.
The result is a tourism ecosystem in which spending can circulate through multiple parts of Seoul’s economy.
The implications of the statistics for the future of Seoul
The record-breaking performance in the first half of the year indicates a positive future for Seoul’s tourism industry.
With 8.23 million foreign visitors and 5.62 trillion won in credit card expenditures in just six months, the capital is enjoying a great deal of international demand.
Moreover, the very fact of spending increase is more encouraging than that of visitor growth.
The matter is that Seoul’s problem is no longer limited to attracting visitors.
Henceforth, it must attract tourists to maximize the quality of their experience.
In general, Seoul tourism statistics suggest that the capital is benefitting from the strong combination of its international popularity, shopping culture, medical services, exotic cuisine, and beauty trends.
Indeed, the numbers of foreign visitors increased by 21.3 percent and amounted to 8.23 million, while credit card spending grew by amazing 56.8 percent and reached 5.62 trillion won.
Shopping remains the most popular spending area (46.4 percent), while medical services share the second place (24.4 percent).
Shopping mall expenditure has risen by 73.2 percent, medical tourism has risen by 63.3 percent, while spending on food and beauty products also grew considerably.
Seoul is trying to develop a nightlife tourism strategy, which would mean that the city could aspire to the future of tourism where it doesn’t just focus on traditional sightseeing, and become a nightlife destination.
If the plans work out for Seoul, it may attract many international visitors who would be more than happy to spend their time getting to know the restaurant and shop offer of the city.
Seoul is famous for shopping and both K-Pop and traditional Korean culture, and the new tourism trend shows that the city has decided to take things to another level in order to make the most of the tourism boom.
