Gangnam-gu, Seoul's iconic tourism hub and global MICE hub, is a hub for residential tourism and K-content consumption. This report proposes structural policy directions to increase length of stay, spending, and repeat visitation rates,
based on tourism, culture, and consumption data . The goal is to transform Gangnam-gu into a global tourism city by establishing a "tourism, economy, and culture convergence ecosystem . "

 

We integrated MarketHub tourism data, the Seoul Tourism Foundation database, Google Travel Insight, and AI sentiment analysis data.
The analysis was based on a four-step loop: "Access → Stay → Spend → Engage."

Approximately 22% of all Seoul tourists stay in the Gangnam area , with a particularly pronounced consumption pattern centered on MICE, K-beauty, K-food, and shopping
. The average length of stay for tourists increased from 1.9 days to 2.6 days (a 37% increase over three years) , and foreigners spent an average of KRW 850,000 (vs. the national average of KRW 470,000).

AI analysis results show that Gangnam visitors fall into four main categories
. These categories will be directly utilized in designing future customized tourism policies and campaigns.

AI-based card payment and search term analysis results show that tourism consumption in Gangnam is undergoing a structural shift toward digital and experiential consumption
as of 2025. Foreigners are highly interested in K-beauty (24%) , Korean and fusion food (21%) , and entertainment and performances (18%)
, and the top area for stay consumption remains the Gangnam Station-Cheongdam-Samsung-dong belt .

Gangnam-gu is evolving into a "content-based, residential city" that combines tourism and industry.
The goal is to develop the tourism industry structure, which integrates AI, media, MICE, beauty, and healthcare, into an "urban IP industry."

Gangnam District hosts approximately 35% of all MICE events in Seoul, with the COEX-Bongeunsa-Samsung Station-Weekend Trade Center axis serving as a key cluster.
The MICE industry generates an economic impact, with foreign visitors spending 2.3 times more per capita than general tourists.

The key infrastructure improvements for expanding residential tourism are 'accessibility + accommodation + residential experience + digitalization.'

Glocal tourism policy is being reorganized beyond simple promotion to a structure that connects industry, culture, and consumption based on data .

AI analyzed a year's worth of English, Chinese, and Japanese reviews, and found that the positive sentiment toward Gangnam tourism was **82.4%**, significantly exceeding the Seoul average (75.6%).

The tourism KPIs that are automatically updated quarterly are as follows:

Gangnam-gu is developing into an "urban economic model that integrates business and tourism."
The core of Glocal tourism is "time spent × quality of experience × content connectivity."
By implementing tourism policies based on AI data , it is projected that
by 2028, stay consumption will increase by 42% compared to the current level , and repeat visitation rates will increase by 15 percentage points .