"Again, Spring"... Busy Retail Industry with the Revival of Myeongdong, the 'No.1 Tourist Spot'

Foreign Tourists in March Up 727.3% YoY
Lotte Department Store & Shinsegae Duty-Free Focus on 'Attracting Tourists'

As Myeongdong, the "No. 1 tourist destination," regains its vitality, distribution companies are becoming busy. Starting with Lotte Department Store, a long-established presence in Myeongdong, to Shinsegae Duty Free, they seem to be fully leveraging the "spring of Myeongdong" that has returned.

On the 30th of last month, when the 'Myeongdong Festival' hosted by Lotte Department Store and the Seoul Metropolitan Government took place, Myeongdong Street in Jung-gu, Seoul was bustling with foreign tourists. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

According to the Korea Tourism Organization on the 16th, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in March was recorded at 800,575. This is a 727.3% increase compared to the same period last year (96,768). Although it is still below the pre-COVID-19 level, the Myeongdong area is bustling with foreign tourists who have come after a long time.

Lotte Department Store partnered with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to hold the "Myeongdong Festival" from the 28th of last month to the 7th of this month. During the event, a stamp tour was held where visitors who visited five designated locations, including Lotte Young Plaza, received stamps and were given gifts on a first-come, first-served basis, attracting tourists' attention. From the 28th to the 30th of last month, when the Myeongdong Festival was held, foreign sales at Lotte Department Store’s main branch increased nearly tenfold compared to a year ago.

Recently, Shinsegae Duty Free, the only one among the three major duty-free stores (Lotte, Shilla, Shinsegae), has teamed up with the Myeongdong Merchants Association to attract foreign tourists. Until July 31, tourists who visit three out of 23 businesses listed in the Myeongdong guidebook and receive stamps will be given gifts such as hanbok experience tickets through the "Myeongdong Stamp Tour." Tourists who collect stamps can receive gifts at the customer center of Shinsegae Duty Free Myeongdong branch. Since the start of the stamp tour, the number of individual foreign tourists at Shinsegae Duty Free Myeongdong branch has increased by 49% compared to a year ago.

Industry insiders expect that if group tours of Chinese tourists, known as "big spenders" in the tourism sector, are allowed to enter Korea, the Myeongdong area will become even more vibrant. A Shinsegae Duty Free official said, "It is difficult to say that the Myeongdong area has recovered to pre-COVID-19 levels as Chinese group tourists have not yet flowed in, but the number of tourists, mainly from Southeast Asia, has greatly increased, and the industry atmosphere is good. Since Myeongdong is Korea’s No. 1 tourist destination, if Myeongdong does well, the distribution industry will also do well. There will be more large and diverse events by the industry to revitalize the Myeongdong commercial district."