{
  "id": 3643471,
  "title": "Seoul draws record 1.61 million foreign tourists in July",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/seoul-draws-record-1-61-million-foreign-tourists-in-july-3643471",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-27T02:27:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20260827/seoul-draws-record-161-million-foreign-tourists-in-july"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seoul welcomed a record-breaking 1.61 million foreign tourists in July, as the city's tourism sector experienced a significant boom. This surge in visitor numbers resulted in an impressive 20.8 percent increase compared to the same month last year, marking the highest monthly figure ever recorded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The city's surge in tourism can be attributed to a 69.7 percent increase in foreign tourist spending via credit card, reaching over 1.07 trillion won ($773 million) in July. This figure marked a 5.2 percent rise from July 2022 and a 58.7 percent increase from the first seven months of the year, totaling 6.688 trillion won. The growth in tourism spending has outpaced the growth in visitor numbers, indicating that tourists are not only arriving in greater numbers but also spending more. Shopping accounted for 46.4 percent of spending between January and July, medical and wellness services accounted for 24.4 percent, and food and beverages accounted for 13.1 percent.",
  "summary": "Seoul drew a record 1.61 million foreign tourists in July, as the city’s tourism boom gathered pace and spending by overseas visitors surged far faster than arrivals. The July total was 20.8 percent higher than a year earlier and 5.2 percent higher than in June, marking the highest monthly figure on record, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Foreign tourists spent over 1.07 trillion…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Seoul draws record 1.61 million foreign tourists in July",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/seoul-draws-record-1-61-million-foreign-tourists-in-july",
        "published": "2026-08-27T02:22:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}