Seoul targets more lodging as it aims for 30 mil. foreign tourists
Tourists walk through Myeong-dong in central Seoul, Aug. 27. Yonhap
The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to reassess whether the capital has enough accommodations to keep pace with a rapid rise in international visitors, as it works toward its goal of attracting 30 million foreign tourists annually by 2030.
The city will recalculate future room demand and examine ways to expand lodging capacity in major tourist areas, amid concerns that the current supply may fall short as visitor numbers continue to climb.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon called for a review of accommodation supply and demand in light of the growing number of visitors to the capital, as well as measures to expand lodging capacity, the city government said Friday.
The move comes as the number of foreign tourists visiting Seoul continues to rise sharply. From January to July this year, the city welcomed 9.83 million international visitors, up 21.3 percent from 8.11 million during the same period last year.
As of June, Seoul had 976 registered lodging establishments offering about 128,000 rooms. They included 719 tourism accommodation businesses with 62,369 rooms, of which 347 hotels and condominiums accounted for 55,999 rooms.
The city will assess whether the current supply will be enough to accommodate the expected growth in visitors. Based on tourism trends, it will estimate how many additional rooms may be needed and consider where and how to expand capacity.
The review will cover Seoul’s overall lodging supply, including not only hotels but also other types of accommodation. The city will compile data from relevant departments to get a clearer picture of available capacity across the capital.
“The aim is to see whether the supply of accommodations is keeping pace with the rapid increase in tourists visiting Seoul,” a city official said. “Since building new tourist hotels takes time, we will assess the current situation and identify areas where additional capacity may be needed.”
The review is still in its early stages, and the city plans to announce more detailed measures after completing further analysis.
In the short term, the 2027 World Youth Day could put additional pressure on accommodation demand, with about 400,000 overseas participants expected to attend the globally renowned Catholic event. The city plans to factor the potential surge in demand during the event into its review.
Over the longer term, the key question is how much lodging capacity Seoul will need to meet its goal of attracting 30 million international tourists annually by 2030.
The city government will meet with experts, including researchers from the Seoul Institute, on Monday to review the city’s accommodation needs.