Interactive quizzes guide Chinese travelers through Seoul's best retail spots
As China’s Golden Week holiday approaches, tourism officials in Seoul are shifting away from traditional bus tour shopping sprees, replacing generic recommendations with hyper-personalized itineraries. The Seoul Tourism Organization on Monday unveiled an interactive online initiative, called My Own Seoul Shopping Course on its travel platform VisitSeoul. Running through Sept. 27, the digital…
As China's Golden Week holiday approaches, tourism officials in Seoul are moving away from traditional bus tour shopping excursions. Instead, they are offering hyper-personalized itineraries through an interactive online initiative called My Own Seoul Shopping Course, which went live on Monday via the city's travel platform, VisitSeoul. The campaign runs until September 27 and is specifically designed for Chinese travelers planning trips during the upcoming Golden Week, which spans October 1-7.
Shopping is a crucial aspect of visiting Seoul. According to the municipal agency's 2025 foreign tourism survey, 83.1% of international travelers engaged in shopping during their stay, with the figure rising to 92.3% among Chinese visitors. The most popular purchases were beauty products at 86.8%, followed by food and beverages at 67.8%, and local fashion at 61.4%.
However, tourism planners have observed that consumer preferences among younger travelers have become more diverse and fragmented. Rather than rushing through duty-free megastores, these visitors are increasingly looking for unique neighborhoods to explore.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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