Foreign Visitors to Seoul Swipe 7.8 Trillion Won by August... Card Spending Up 60%

11.56 Million Visitors in Eight Months... Highest Ever Recorded
August Spending Hits 1.0327 Trillion Won... Over 1 Trillion Won for Five Consecutive Months
Total Spending Reaches 7.7813 Trillion Won... Nearing Last Year’s Annual Figure

The accumulated card spending by foreign visitors to Seoul reached 7.7813 trillion won as of August 2026. This represents an increase of 60% compared to the same period last year, and it is already nearly equivalent to last year’s total annual spending of 7.9375 trillion won.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on October 6, the cumulative number of foreign visitors during the January to August period of this year hit an all-time high of 11.56 million.

Foreign tourists walking along Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul in August also set a monthly record. In August, there were 1.72 million foreign tourists, a 23.3% increase compared to the same period last year (1.4 million).

By nationality, visitors from China, Japan, and Taiwan together accounted for 66.4% of all foreign tourists who visited Seoul in August. Chinese tourists formed the largest group at 636,000 (36.9%), followed by Japanese tourists at 322,000 (18.6%) and Taiwanese tourists at 188,000 (10.9%). Compared to July, the number of Chinese tourists increased by 36.9%, Taiwanese tourists by 28.0%, and Hong Kong tourists by 21.5%. The number of Indonesian tourists rose by 44.3%, highlighting the prominent growth of both Greater China and Southeast Asian markets.

The growth in tourist numbers has led to increased spending. In August, the card spending by foreign tourists amounted to 1.0327 trillion won, up 58.1% from 653.3 billion won in the same month last year. Since surpassing the 1 trillion won mark in April, monthly card spending remained above that threshold for five consecutive months through August.

The accumulated spending for January to August 2026 reached 7.7813 trillion won, a 59.9% increase from 4.8662 trillion won in the same period last year. Given that last year’s total annual spending was 7.9375 trillion won, this year’s performance is already close to that figure within eight months.

By industry in 2025, card spending was distributed as follows: retail accounted for 46.6%, medical and wellness services 23.8%, food and beverage 13.2%, and accommodation 10.4%. Spending at large shopping malls jumped by 77.5%, with medical tourism increasing by 64.2% and general dining establishments by 59.5%. Notably, in August alone, spending at large shopping malls surged 88.3% and spending at general restaurants rose 80.3% year-on-year, underscoring the summer peak season’s impact on retail and culinary consumption.

Spending was also geographically diversified across Seoul, spreading into local commercial districts and traditional markets. Card spending by foreigners around major tourist areas such as Seongsu and Myeongdong increased by 103.7% and 74.7%, respectively. In neighborhood commercial districts and traditional markets, card spending soared near Dosan Park (240.1%), around Gyeongsu Elementary School in Seongsu-dong (206.6%), and at Gwangjang Market (127.4%).

Cho Seongho, director of tourism and sports at the Seoul Metropolitan Government, stated, "Following the record high number of foreign tourists in August, the surge in tourist spending is heightening the economic impact of tourism in Seoul. We will further strengthen connections between nighttime tourism content and local businesses, focusing on Seoul’s unique nighttime economy, so that visitors will stay longer and their spending will be distributed more widely throughout the city."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.