SEOUL – Spending by foreign tourists in South Korea rose sharply in the first half of 2026, fuelled by the return of Chinese visitors and rapid growth in medical tourism, according to an analysis by BC Card.
The company, which analysed transactions made using 3.3 million foreign-issued payment cards, found that total spending increased 53.6 per cent compared with the same period last year, while the number of transactions rose 40.3 per cent.
The findings align with government data released last week showing foreign visitors spent 10.04 trillion won during the first six months of 2026, a 50.8 per cent increase year-on-year, as reported by The Korea Herald.
Chinese visitors were the biggest contributor to the spending recovery, with the number of payment cards used rising 56.6 per cent from a year earlier. The number of cards used by visitors from Singapore increased 46.8 per cent, followed by Taiwan at 44.3 per cent and Japan at 40.1 per cent.
Spending by Chinese tourists rose even faster, surging 82.7 per cent year-on-year.
“The recovery in the number of Chinese visitors, South Korea’s largest inbound tourism market, drove the overall rise in consumption,” BC Card said.
The data also showed that tourist spending is becoming more geographically diversified.
While Seoul remained the country's largest tourism hub, spending also increased in districts outside traditional shopping areas such as Myeongdong. Tourist expenditure in Busan and Jeju Island rose 57.9 per cent and 63.7 per cent respectively.
Medical tourism emerged as the fastest-growing segment, with foreign visitors' spending on healthcare services climbing 98 per cent compared with the first half of 2025.
Although Seoul accounted for 92.8 per cent of total medical spending, expenditure became more evenly distributed across the capital. Gangnam remained the largest medical tourism destination, accounting for 39.8 per cent of healthcare spending, although its market share declined as more visitors sought services in other districts, including Seocho and Jung.
Dermatology overtook plastic surgery as the leading category for medical tourism, accounting for 67.5 per cent of foreign visitors' medical spending, compared with 21.3 per cent for cosmetic surgery.
Spending on dermatology services increased 109.8 per cent year-on-year, while expenditure on plastic surgery rose 35.5 per cent.
Foreign visitors also spent significantly more at pharmacies, with expenditure soaring 1,176.9 per cent from a year earlier.
“A new tourism ecosystem linking medical services and shopping appears to be taking shape.
“Medical tourism is expected to emerge as a new growth engine for inbound tourism,” BC Card said.
