Foreigners' card spending in Seoul jumps nearly 58% to $6.57 bil.
Summary
Foreign visitors spent 8.84 trillion won ($6.57 billion) by card in Seoul from January to September 2026, as the city welcomed a record number of tourists. Spending was up 57.7 percent year on year and had already exceeded the 7.94 trillion won total for all of 2025. Shopping accounted for the largest share, while spending in local commercial alleyways grew faster than in major tourist spots. Seoul officials plan to connect attractions with local districts and traditional markets to encourage longer stays and support the local economy.
Key Facts
- Shopping made up 46 percent of foreign visitors’ card spending, followed by medical and wellness services at 23.8 percent, food and beverages at 13.3 percent, and accommodation at 10.4 percent.
- Gangnam Ward accounted for 29.6 percent of spending, followed by Jung Ward at 27.7 percent and Mapo Ward at 7.1 percent.
- Spending in 10 major tourist spots rose 57.2 percent year on year to 5.32 trillion won, while spending in local commercial alleyways increased 80.5 percent to 308.2 billion won.
- Seoul received 13.14 million foreign visitors from January to September, up 21.5 percent year on year; Chinese visitors numbered 4.2 million, followed by 2.5 million from Japan, 1.43 million from Taiwan and 930,000 from the United States.
- Foreign visitor numbers at Han River parks increased 41.7 percent year on year during the nine-month period.
Tourists shop at a drug store in Myeongdong, Seoul, Oct. 18. Yonhap
Foreign visitors' card spending in Seoul jumped nearly 58 percent from a year earlier in the first nine months of 2026, driven by a record number of visitors, city government data showed Tuesday.
Foreigners spent 8.84 trillion won ($6.57 billion) using credit and debit cards in Seoul from January to September, up 57.7 percent from the same period last year, according to the data. The figure has already surpassed the annual total of 7.94 trillion won for 2025.
By sector, shopping accounted for the largest share at 46 percent, followed by medical and wellness services at 23.8 percent. Food and beverages took up 13.3 percent, while accommodation accounted for 10.4 percent.
By district, Gangnam Ward led spending with 29.6 percent of the total, followed by Jung Ward at 27.7 percent and Mapo Ward at 7.1 percent.
Spending expanded in most areas across the city, with foreigners' card spending more than doubling in the Gangdong, Guro, Dongdaemun and Seongdong wards.
While foreign spending in 10 major tourist spots, including Myeongdong, Gangnam and Seongsu, grew 57.2 percent on-year to 5.32 trillion won, spending in local commercial alleyways surged 80.5 percent to 308.2 billion won.
The sharp increase in card spending comes as Seoul welcomed an all-time high of 13.14 million foreign visitors in the January-September period, up 21.5 percent from a year earlier.
Of the total, Chinese tourists accounted for the largest share at 4.2 million, with visitors from Japan at 2.5 million, Taiwan at 1.43 million and the United States at 930,000.
The city government also highlighted a 41.7 percent on-year increase in foreign visitors to Han River parks during the nine-month period.
City officials said they plan to develop content that encourages foreign visitors to stay longer and spend more while connecting major tourist attractions with local commercial districts and traditional markets to ensure that the boom in the tourism sector leads to the revitalization of the local economy.
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