Mayor orders strategy to spread foreign tourist spending beyond capital

Seoul tops global rankings but accounts for 71% of foreign card spending nationwide

City to expand 'antenna shops' as travel concierge hubs linking Seoul to regions

Jeon Ha-young, who won a gold medal in the women's sabre team event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, presents Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon with an Asian Games souvenir at a luncheon honoring athletes affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government who competed at the games, held at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu on Thursday. [Yonhap]
Jeon Ha-young, who won a gold medal in the women's sabre team event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, presents Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon with an Asian Games souvenir at a luncheon honoring athletes affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Government who competed at the games, held at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu on Thursday. [Yonhap]

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon on Thursday called on the city to play an active role in ensuring that Seoul's tourism achievements translate into broader economic benefits for the rest of the country.

Speaking at a senior staff meeting, Oh directed city officials to develop strategies to encourage foreign tourists visiting Seoul to also travel to other regions.

About 11.56 million foreign tourists visited Seoul between January and August this year, the highest figure ever recorded for that period, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Their card spending reached 7.78 trillion won ($5.81 billion) over the same period, up roughly 60 percent from a year earlier, reflecting real growth in tourist consumption.

Seoul has also been racking up accolades in international tourism rankings. Readers of the influential American travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler voted Seoul the world's best major city, while US travel outlet Trazee Travel named it the top city among global MZ Generation travelers in its 2026 The Trazees rankings released in August.

British culture and travel outlet Time Out named Jongno 3-ga the world's coolest neighborhood of 2026 last month.

Even as Seoul cements its reputation as a competitive tourism destination, Oh urged officials to find ways to channel that momentum into revitalizing regional economies.

Seoul accounted for 71.1 percent of all offline card spending by foreign tourists nationwide from January through August this year. With tourist spending so heavily concentrated in the capital, redistributing that demand to other parts of the country has emerged as a pressing challenge.

"We must redouble our efforts through a mutually beneficial strategy that grows tourism demand for both Seoul and the regions, so that Seoul's tourism success can spread across the entire country," Oh said. "Make sure that tourists' visits translate into extended stays and spending in local areas, adding real vitality to regional economies."

He added that local governments were already working hard to develop tourism products that reflect their regional character and attract visitors despite difficult economic conditions. "Seoul must also come up with concrete measures to connect the regions' efforts with Seoul's tourism demand," he said.

In response, the city will expand the use of its regional tourism promotion and experience hubs — known as "antenna shops" — and strengthen coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local governments.

The antenna shops will be upgraded to serve as traveler concierge centers offering consultations on Seoul-to-region tour products. They will also function as community spaces where visitors can share travel experiences, with the aim of turning them into key hubs that encourage foreign tourists to venture beyond the capital.

"We need to use the antenna shops and regional connection hubs we have built to create practical links that help foreign tourists in Seoul move on to other parts of the country," Oh said. "Strengthen cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and local governments."


ken@heraldcorp.com