Foreign tourist visits to Seoul hit all-time July high

Foreign tourists pose for photos at a dance studio in Seoul. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

Seoul tourism has not just bounced back to prepandemic levels — it has reached new heights thanks to diverse experiential programs favored by a growing number of young travelers across the globe, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday.

The city government announced that the number of overseas tourists visiting Seoul hit a record 1.36 million in July, a 23.1 percent increase from the 1.1 million recorded in July last year. It added that the figure was 18.2 percent higher than for July 2019, before COVID-19.

Chinese travelers topped the list of foreign tourists visiting Seoul in July, making up almost 35 percent of the total with 470,000 visitors, followed by those from Japan, Taiwan and the United States.

From January to July, a total of 8.28 million overseas tourists visited Seoul, recording a 15.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year — and a 5.5 percent rise from the same period in 2019 — setting a new all-time high for the period.

According to the city government, the recent increase in tourists was driven by Netflix’s most-watched film of all time, “KPop Demon Hunters," among Seoul’s other charms, including safe transportation, accommodation infrastructure and travel spots that blend old with new.

“The steady increase in foreign tourists visiting the city proves that Seoul offers an attractive travel experience with strong competitiveness in the global tourism market. We will continue to develop unique tourist content and innovative services to turn Seoul into a top travel destination,” a city government official said in a press release.