SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Foreign tourists visiting Seoul are increasingly venturing beyond established tourist destinations such as Myeongdong and Gangnam into traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts, including Namdaemun Market and Seongsu-dong, reshaping the city's retail landscape.

To sustain the growth in foreign tourists' spending and revitalize neighborhood businesses, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is stepping up efforts to improve shopping environments at traditional markets and promote the nighttime economy by combining late-night food offerings with cultural and tourism attractions.

According to tourism and consumption data released by the city government Thursday, foreign tourists' credit card spending in Seoul's neighborhood commercial districts reached 308.2 billion won (US$214 million) in the January-September period, up 80.5 percent from the same period last year. Spending at traditional markets also increased 48.8 percent.

Namdaemun Market, one of Seoul's best-known traditional markets, has seen a particularly sharp increase in spending by foreign visitors.

According to data compiled by Shinhan Card, credit card sales at tourism-related businesses around the market's Jayu Shopping Center totaled 109.181 billion won in the first nine months of this year, up 7.5 percent from the same period last year.

Foreign visitors accounted for 15.758 billion won of the total, up 65.6 percent from 9.514 billion won a year earlier. The increase was considerably higher than the 1.5 percent rise in domestic customers' spending, which grew from 92.014 billion won to 93.423 billion won over the same period.

The share of foreign visitors in total credit card sales also rose to 14.4 percent from 9.4 percent.

At Namdaemun Market, everyday household items such as scarves, exfoliating bath towels and bath baskets have recently emerged as popular purchases among foreign tourists and younger shoppers.

Word-of-mouth recommendations on social media have drawn visitors seeking to experience Korean everyday culture and purchase related products.

The market's distinctive shopping experience, which allows visitors to browse a wide range of household goods and clothing in one place, is believed to be another factor behind its growing popularity.

The number of weekend and holiday credit card transactions in the Namdaemun commercial district increased from the same period in 2024 by 44 percent among people in their 20s or younger and 53 percent among those in their 30s during the January-August period this year.

The average daily floating population of foreign visitors in the area also rose 9.9 percent last year to 30,132.

The market environment is changing in response to the growing number of tourists.

In November last year, the Seoul city government and Jung District installed a 135-meter-long "design arcade" modeled after the eaves of traditional Korean houses along the market's central shopping street. The structure features a roof designed to provide natural light and ventilation while protecting shoppers from rain and strong sunlight.

The city is also pursuing the Namdaemun Market Area Innovation Project, which includes developing a pedestrian path offering views of Sungnyemun Gate and a walking trail connecting the market to Namsan Mountain, linking the market with nearby tourist attractions.

Seongsu-dong is another example of a neighborhood that has grown into a globally popular commercial district through a combination of public investment in green spaces and industrial infrastructure and private-sector investment.

The city opened Seoul Forest in 2005 and designated the Seongsu IT Industrial Development Promotion District in 2010. Since then, cafes and cultural spaces have sprung up in converted factories and warehouses, followed by fashion and beauty stores and pop-up shops.

Foreign tourists' credit card spending in the Seongsu-dong area reached 263.8 billion won in the January-September period this year, more than doubling from a year earlier with a 100.6 percent increase. This was the highest growth rate among 10 major tourist destinations analyzed by the city.

The Seoul International Garden Show, held at Seoul Forest this year, attracted 14 million visitors over 180 days. Credit card sales in the Seoul Forest and Seongsu-dong areas during the event period increased 11.6 percent from the same period last year.

The Jongno 3-ga area has also been transformed into a tourist destination by making use of its traditional Korean houses and historical and cultural assets.

After the city designated Ikseon-dong as a hanok conservation area in 2018 and improved pedestrian conditions along Seosulla-gil, a street running alongside the stone wall of Jongmyo Shrine, traditional-style cafes, restaurants and craft workshops moved into the area, turning it into a popular destination known for its distinctly Korean atmosphere.

Last month, British travel and culture magazine Time Out named the area, which brings together Ikseon-dong's traditional houses, craft workshops along Seosulla-gil and the outdoor tent bars of Jongno 3-ga, the world's coolest neighborhood for 2026.

Building on such tourism demand generated by the distinctive historical, cultural and industrial characteristics of individual neighborhoods, the city plans to focus on revitalizing traditional markets and expanding its nighttime economy to spread tourism spending to surrounding commercial districts.

The city also plans to expand its "Seoul Moonlight Night Market" program, which combines late-night food offerings with cultural and tourism attractions in neighborhood commercial districts.

The initiative currently operates at six locations. The city plans to add 10 more next year and expand the total to 25 by 2028, with the aim of encouraging tourists to continue visiting and spending money into the evening.

"Tourism spending is spreading beyond major destinations such as Myeongdong and Gangnam to neighborhood commercial districts and traditional markets," said Cho Seong-ho, head of the city's tourism and sports bureau.

"We will strengthen links between tourism content and local commercial districts so that tourism spending contributes to revitalizing the regional economy," he added.

jwc@yna.co.kr

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