Seoul is rolling out a broad welcome campaign for foreign visitors, aiming to provide tightly linked services from airports to major downtown areas during the spring peak travel season.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Sunday it will run “2026 Seoul Welcome Week (Seoul Welcome Week 2026)” from May 1 to 8 with the Seoul Tourism Association. The city is targeting a Northeast Asia travel rush as Japan’s Golden Week overlaps with China’s Labor Day holiday, as demand to visit Korea rises amid events such as K-pop concerts.
The main hubs will be Myeongdong and Yeouido. The city will set up a “welcome center” near Myeongdong Station and a “welcome booth” at Yeouido Hangang Park, operating them intensively from May 1 to 5. It will extend the campaign through May 8 via major tourist information centers and local tourism “antenna shops.”
At the Myeongdong welcome center, the city will run a “Seoul styling spot” and an “AI smart travel guide consultation desk” to provide tailored information. Interactive offerings will include an art-drawing guestbook and K-pop cover dance performances. A K-beauty experience zone will also be offered for visitors to try current Seoul trends.
At Yeouido Hangang Park, the city will operate tourist information programs tied to the Seoul Spring Festival. Along with multilingual assistance, the site will offer a “daenggi meori” traditional hair-ribbon styling experience and souvenir-giveaway events.
The city said the week is also designed to expand travel routes “from Seoul to the rest of the country.” Working with local tourism antenna shops, it plans to introduce region-specific content and provide discount coupons to encourage foreign visitors to travel outside Seoul.
Seoul also highlighted a “welcome from departure” strategy. In cooperation with China Eastern Airlines, it will place welcome leaflets at departure airports on major routes including Shanghai, Qingdao and Nanjing. The city also plans to spread welcome messages across Seoul through outdoor digital billboards, mobility advertising and hotel media platforms.
Kim Myeong-ju, director general of Seoul’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said foreign tourist arrivals to Korea in the first quarter rose about 23% from a year earlier, showing a rapid recovery in demand. “Through a welcome system that runs from the airport to the city center, we will further enhance Seoul’s appeal as a destination,” he said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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