Global Traveler mag names Seoul top Asian city for leisure

The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) on June 18 said the international magazine Global Traveler named Seoul the Best Leisure Destination in Asia at the monthly's 11th Leisure Lifestyle Awards. 
 

As the leading tourism publication in the Americas with 550,000 print subscribers and two million monthly views online, Global Traveler launched the awards in 2013. 

Last year, Seoul ranked second behind Taipei, Taiwan, in the category. 

The city government and STO have steadily promoted overseas the capital's attractive lifestyle with K-pop sensation BTS, who was appointed honorary ambassador for tourism in Seoul in 2017. 

New leisure and tourism content is also being continuously found. This year's Seoul Festa kicked off last month featuring events and venues like K-pop concerts, interactive culture zones and Hangang Drone Light Show at the city's Ttukseom Hangang Park. 

The Discover Seoul Pass exclusively for foreign visitors allows them convenient access to the city's major tourist destinations including N Seoul Tower and theme park Lotte World, domestic culture and leisure activities. 

The global shared accommodation platform Airbnb said Seoul last year ranked fourth globally in the number of searches among tourist destinations. The American magazine Time also included the capital in last year's list of "The World's Greatest Places." 

"Given the recent surge in popularity of Korean culture and content, the trend has been for leisure and tourism in Seoul to grow popular around the world," said Kim Young Hwan, director-general of the city government's Tourism and Sports Bureau. "Taking full advantage of this opportunity, we will strive to attract more foreign tourists and MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events to Seoul, an attractive tourism and MICE city."