Foreign tourists' spending in Seoul surges more than 50 % in H1: data

The number of foreign visitors to Seoul in the first half of this year increased by more than 20 percent from the same period last year, while their credit card spending in the city surged by more than 50 percent, data from the city government showed Wednesday.

Seoul attracted 8.23 million foreign tourists in the January-June period, up 21.3 percent from the first half of last year, the government said, noting their credit card spending soared 56.8 percent to 5.62 trillion won ($3.9 billion).

Both the number of foreign visitors and their spending reached all-time highs in the first half, city government officials said.

With spending growth far exceeding the increase in visitor numbers, Seoul tourism appears to be moving beyond a mere recovery in visitor numbers and entering a new growth phase driven by longer stays and higher consumption, they said.

The city government said the shopping sector accounted for the largest share of foreign visitors' card spending, at 46.4 percent, followed by medical and wellness sectors at 24.4 percent.

Foreigners' spending at large shopping malls in Seoul s ...