Seoul is drawing attention as a global tourism destination after a string of high rankings from major international travel publications. Amid the K-culture boom, visitors are venturing beyond traditional landmarks into backstreet commercial districts and along the Han River. The Seoul Metropolitan Government says two decades of urban space redevelopment have also strengthened the city's appeal.
Seoul ranked first in the big cities category of the 2026 Readers' Choice Awards announced Oct. 6 by the U.S. travel magazine Conde Nast Traveler, the city government said on the 23rd. The city climbed four places from fifth last year to take the top spot for the first time. Jongno 3-ga also ranked first on the list of the world's coolest neighborhoods compiled by the British travel publication Time Out.
Visitor numbers and spending are both rising. Some 13.14 million foreign tourists visited Seoul in the January-September period, up 21.5% from a year earlier, according to the city's September report on tourism and consumption trends. That is the highest figure ever recorded for the period. Card spending by foreign visitors rose 57.7% to 8.8435 trillion won ($6.2 billion).
The destinations drawing visitors are also diversifying. Beyond traditional attractions such as Myeong-dong and the royal palaces, Seongsu-dong in Seongdong District and Ikseon-dong and Seosunra-gil in Jongno District have established themselves as new tourism districts. Seongsu-dong has attracted foreign visitors with a concentration of cafes, fashion and beauty stores and pop-up shops housed in former factories and warehouses. Ikseon-dong and Seosunra-gil have grown into attractions as restaurants and craft workshops have opened in traditional hanok houses and historic buildings. "The appeal of Jongno 3-ga is that you can walk through old alleys, historic sites and new commercial areas," a Jongno District official said.
Commercial districts around major attractions also posted sales gains. Sales in the Dongdaemun district rose an average of 10.8% during major cultural events at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza last year. Card sales in the Seoul Forest and Seongsu area, which hosted this year's Seoul International Garden Show, rose 6.3% from May to July compared with a year earlier, while the foreign population present in the area climbed 21.2%.
Tourism offerings are also expanding from shopping and cultural experiences into outdoor activities. The city operates Seoul Hiking Tourism Centers at three locations — Bukhansan, Bugaksan and Gwanaksan mountains — renting hiking gear and providing travel information to foreign visitors. Cumulative users reached 210,000 through the first half of this year, including about 47,000 foreigners.
The city credits urban space redevelopment with improving its tourism competitiveness, citing the restoration of Cheonggyecheon Stream, the creation of Gwanghwamun Square, pedestrian improvements along Sejong-daero, the opening of the DDP and the renovation of Han River parks. Backstreet districts such as Seongsu-dong and Ikseon-dong grew into new attractions as private investment followed the development of Seoul Forest and policies to preserve hanok houses, the city said.
Improved transit infrastructure has also supported the city's appeal. Time Out this month ranked Seoul fifth among cities with the best public transportation, up three places from eighth last year. Following its integrated bus and subway transfer system, the city introduced short-term passes for the Climate Card and AI-powered multilingual interpretation services. Since March, riders have been able to buy and top up tickets and short-term Climate Cards with overseas-issued credit cards at 273 subway stations.
The city plans to translate rising visitor numbers into longer stays and higher spending. Under its "3-3-7-7" tourism vision — targeting 30 million foreign visitors, 3 million won in spending per person, seven-day stays and a 70% return rate — it will expand nighttime tourism and develop "Seoul Moonlight Night Markets" linked to backstreet commercial districts.
"We will improve lodging facilities and foreign-language guidance systems to accommodate the growing number of visitors, and reduce the inconvenience to residents caused by tourist crowding," said Cho Sung-ho, director general of the city's tourism and sports bureau. "We will continue to expand tourism infrastructure and content so that visitors who come to Seoul because of K-culture stay longer and spend across more parts of the city."