Report Shows How Tourists Spend Their Money in Seoul

Foreign tourists in Korea visit Seoul for an average of 4.7 days and spend US$2,033 per person, according to a poll by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

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The poll was carried out on 1,000 foreign tourists from July 14 to Aug. 10. Chinese tourists spend more than Japanese with an average of W2.62 million (US$=W1,175) per person compared to W1.96 million.

Among the respondents, 90.1 percent stayed in Seoul for 4.7 days, with tourists from the U.S. and Europe spending seven to 10 days, and Japanese and Chinese tourists three or four days. Leisure and holiday were the most common purpose of the visits, but a considerable number care here to experience Korean pop culture such as K-pop concerts, rising from 14.7 percent last year to 40.6 percent.

Traditional tourist spots like Insa-dong and Namdaemun market remain popular, but mid- and bargain price cosmetic shops and Seoul Plaza were newly popular destinations.

Japanese tourists preferred downtown label shopping, while American tourists favored historic and picturesque sites such as royal palaces and traditional markets.

Individual travelers tend to spend more than group tourists, with an average spending of $2,266 compared to $1,674.

"Although tourists from the U.S and Europe spend more than Chinese tourists per capita, there are far fewer of them", said a Seoul Metropolitan Government official. Most visitors declared themselves satisfied with their trip.