Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Seoul unveils year-round events to draw global visitors beyond K-culture boom
American tourists wearing traditional Korean Hanbok clothing pose for photos as they visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Feb. 17. EPA-Yonhap
By Lee Hae-rin
City bets on local flavors to lure new wave of tourists to capital
Seoul is rolling out an ambitious slate of tourism projects for 2026, aiming to transform the capital city from a brief pop-culture waypoint into a year-round destination built around immersive experiences — from festivals and nature retreats to wellness programs and artificial intelligence-driven services.
At a tourism business briefing in Seoul Tuesday, municipal and tourism authorities said foreign visitor numbers had surpassed their prepandemic peak last year, with roughly 15 million international arrivals to the capital, as Korea as a whole saw a record 18.24 million inbound travelers.
“We are now at an important turning point where we must move beyond quantitative growth and redefine the qualitative structure of Seoul tourism,” said Kil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization (STO).
The city’s strategy for 2026 centers on stretching stays and spending by turning Seoul into a city of “365 days of festivals,” led by a new and expanded lineup of projects.
Major Han River parks in Yeouido, Ttukseom and Banpo will host large-scale nighttime drone performances and media art programs during expanded spring and autumn festivals and events.
Seoul also plans to step up gastronomy tourism with its annual Taste of Seoul program and a new barbecue-themed festival in October, highlighting local restaurants, dessert cafes and outdoor dining experiences to entice gourmet travelers.
The city will operate the “Seoul Dal,” a moon-shaped helium balloon ride at Yeouido seven days a week to strengthen night tourism, and expand a hiking program to offer tailored mountain experiences to global visitors.
STO plans to grow its arts tourism alliance to around 100 member organizations and launch an integrated system where visitors can search, book and pay for performances and art tours, as part of a broader push to position Seoul closer to cities like New York and Paris in cultural tourism.
Officials are also banking on global star power.
A large-scale BTS comeback project set to take place at Gwanghwamun in March will be livestreamed to 190 countries via Netflix, and a new partnership with LAFC is expected to fuel sports marketing and digital content to promote Seoul as a global destination.
Kil Ki-yeon, CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization, delivers opening remarks during a briefing on the 2026 Seoul Tourism Project at Seoul Tourism Plaza in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis
Still, tourism insiders at the briefing warned that soaring demand is outpacing the city’s readiness.
Inbound operators pointed to the severe shortage of licensed guides in foreign languages such as Spanish, Italian and French, with some markets reportedly served by only a few dozen guides nationwide, and called for temporary licensing instead of rigid crackdowns on unlicensed work.
Others flagged a lack of affordable accommodation, tour bus parking and nighttime traditional performances as constraints on Seoul’s goal of hosting 30 million foreign visitors in the coming years.
Kil acknowledged that the K-culture boom “cannot last forever” and said the foundation is moving to diversify beyond pop-driven demand through art, everyday-life experiences, and medical and wellness tourism.
“Our ultimate goal is for visitors to stay longer, experience more deeply and finally become a global fandom with a strong attachment to the Seoul brand,” he said.