Foreign Tourists Visiting Seoul Increase in the Endemic Era... Up 180% Compared to Last Year

May Visitors After Endemic Transition Increase 296% Compared to January

The arrival hall of Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 on the 22nd. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Since the COVID-19 endemic phase, the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul has gradually increased.

On the 14th, the Seoul Tourism Foundation announced that the number of tourists visiting the Seoul Tourism Information Centers in the first half of this year reached 763,243, a 69% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of foreign visitors increased by 180%.

In particular, visitors to the Tourism Information Centers in May increased by 296% compared to January, indicating a noticeable recovery in the Seoul tourism market.

The Seoul Tourism Foundation operates 24 Tourism Information Centers, providing tourism information and guidance services to visitors.

In 2019, the number of foreign visitors to the Seoul Tourism Information Centers reached a record high of 3,033,450. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, the numbers decreased by 88% in 2020 and by 98% last year compared to 2019.

Inquiries from foreign visitors now include not only tourist attractions, transportation, and shopping but also new questions about PCR testing locations and quarantine guidelines at tourist sites.

To respond to the surge in guidance demand following the opening of Cheongwadae (the Blue House), the Seoul Tourism Foundation relocated a mobile tourism information center to Seochon this month to provide information around the Cheongwadae area. The mobile tourism information center operated in the Samcheong-dong area during the Cheongwadae opening period provided guidance to 183,103 people.

Gil Giyeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Foundation, said, "The noticeable increase in foreign visitors to the Tourism Information Centers is evidence that Seoul's tourism market is recovering," adding, "We are renovating and replacing the aging Tourism Information Center facilities to respond to the surge in foreign visitor demand."