American tourists wearing traditional Korean Hanbok clothing pose for photos as they visit Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul, Feb. 17. EPA-Yonhap
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.
Source: Korea Times News
