Seoul launches new travel push to attract Japanese men

The Seoul Tourism Organization unveiled the Seoul Quest campaign in Seoul on Wednesday to attract Japanese men with mission-based travel videos showcasing activities beyond K-pop and cosmetics. Featuring Japanese fitness influencer Masso, the campaign highlights urban recreation, relaxation and local food. Officials said Japanese men accounted for roughly 30 percent of Japanese arrivals in Korea last year, despite traveling abroad in nearly equal numbers to women. The eight-part campaign will run on Visit Seoul’s Japanese social media channels through Nov. 13.

The campaign’s three main themed episodes are Sunset Quest, Play & Heal Quest and Night Food Quest.

Sunset Quest includes a run along the Han River in Yeouido, a ride on the new Hangang Bus, sportswear shopping at The Hyundai Seoul and a visit to the 63 Sky Picnic observatory.

Play & Heal Quest features live-bullet target shooting and glow-in-the-dark bowling in Hongdae, followed by a traditional Korean head spa session.

Night Food Quest takes Masso to Gwangjang Market for live octopus beef tartare and to nearby Euljiro for grilled pork belly.

The campaign includes short-form reels, behind-the-scenes footage and social media challenges on Visit Seoul’s Japanese Instagram, X and YouTube channels. It is scheduled to roll out sequentially through Nov. 13.

Published Oct 28, 2026 11:27 am KST

Japanese fitness content creator Masso is featured prominently in a promotional poster for "Seoul Quest," a digital campaign designed by the Seoul Tourism Organization to showcase active tourism, wellness, and local cuisine. Courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization

Seoul is launching a targeted tourism push aimed at capturing an overlooked demographic in one of its most reliable travel markets: Japanese men.

The Seoul Tourism Organization unveiled "Seoul Quest" on Wednesday, a campaign structured around mission-based travel videos designed to showcase the Korean capital beyond its traditional K-pop and cosmetics appeal. Featuring Japanese fitness influencer Masso, the series blends high-energy urban activities with local culinary experiences to lure a demographic that official statistics show has lagged behind female visitors.

Data from Japan’s Immigration Services Agency and the Korea Tourism Data Lab highlight a stark disparity.

While Japanese men travel abroad in nearly equal numbers to women, they accounted for roughly 30 percent of Japanese arrivals in Korea last year. Municipal officials see significant growth potential in closing that gap, particularly as male arrivals from Japan show signs of accelerating.

"Japan remains a core market with deep familiarity with Seoul, leading us to focus on the relatively underrepresented demand among Japanese male travelers," said Kim Byung-min, chief executive of the Seoul Tourism Organization.

Rather than relying on conventional promotional tours, the campaign relies on interactive, episodic travel logs.

Across three main themed episodes, Masso tackles distinct challenges throughout the capital. The "Sunset Quest" features a run along the Han River in Seoul's Yeouido, alongside the city's new Hangang Bus, followed by sportswear shopping at The Hyundai Seoul and panoramic views from the 63 Sky Picnic observatory.

In "Play & Heal Quest," the itinerary pivots to high-impact leisure and relaxation in Hongdae, a youth culture hub in western Seoul, featuring live-bullet target shooting, glow-in-the-dark bowling and a traditional Korean head spa session. The final installment, "Night Food Quest," explores the city's evening food culture in central Seoul, following Masso through Gwangjang Market in Jongno District for live octopus beef tartare and to the open-air alleys of neighboring Euljiro for grilled pork belly.

The eight-part digital campaign — which includes short-form reels, behind-the-scenes footage and social media challenges — will roll out sequentially across Visit Seoul’s Japanese Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube channels through Nov. 13.

City tourism planners said they hope the interactive format and localized social media strategy will establish Seoul as a versatile destination for solo male travelers seeking active, experiential journeys.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

首尔旅游局周三在首尔正式启动“首尔探索之旅”（Seoul Quest）活动，旨在通过一系列以任务为导向的旅行视频，展现韩国流行音乐和美妆之外的精彩体验，吸引更多日本男性游客。该活动由日本健身网红Masso代言，重点推介都市休闲、放松身心和当地美食。官方数据显示，尽管去年赴韩日本游客中男性游客约占30%，但男性游客的出国旅游人数与女性游客几乎持平。这项共八集的宣传活动将在首尔旅游局的日本社交媒体平台上持续播出至11月13日。

该战役的三个主要主题章节分别是日落任务、玩乐与疗愈任务和夜间美食任务。

日落之旅包括沿着汝矣岛汉江跑步、乘坐新开通的汉江巴士、在首尔现代购物中心购买运动服以及参观63 Sky Picnic观景台。

Play & Heal Quest 在弘大提供实弹射击和夜光保龄球等活动，之后还可以享受传统的韩式头部水疗。

夜宵探秘之旅带领 Masso 前往广藏市场品尝活章鱼牛肉鞑靼，并前往附近的乙支路品尝烤五花肉。

该宣传活动包括在首尔旅游局的日本Instagram、Xbox和YouTube频道上发布短视频、幕后花絮和社交媒体挑战。活动计划于11月13日前陆续推出。

发布于2026年10月28日上午11:27（韩国标准时间）

日本健身内容创作者 Masso 在首尔旅游局策划的数字营销活动“首尔探索之旅”（Seoul Quest）的宣传海报中占据显著位置。该活动旨在推广首尔的活力旅游、健康养生和当地美食。图片由首尔旅游局提供。

首尔正发起一项有针对性的旅游推广活动，旨在吸引其最可靠的旅游市场之一中被忽视的群体：日本男性。

首尔旅游局周三推出了名为“首尔探索之旅”（Seoul Quest）的宣传活动，该活动以一系列以任务为导向的旅行视频为核心，旨在展现韩国首都首尔在传统K-pop和美妆产品之外的魅力。该系列视频由日本健身网红Masso出演，将活力四射的都市活动与当地美食体验相结合，力图吸引男性游客。官方数据显示，男性游客数量一直落后于女性游客。

日本入国管理局和韩国旅游数据实验室的数据凸显了明显的差异。

虽然日本男性出国旅游的人数与女性几乎持平，但去年赴韩日本游客中，男性仅占约30%。市政府官员认为，缩小这一差距具有巨大的增长潜力，尤其是在日本男性赴韩游客数量呈现加速增长的迹象的情况下。

首尔旅游局首席执行官金炳民表示：“日本仍然是我们的核心市场，他们对首尔非常熟悉，因此我们将重点放在日本男性游客相对较少被关注的需求上。”

该活动没有采用传统的宣传巡回活动，而是采用互动式、分章节的旅行日志。

在三个主题各异的篇章中，马索在首尔各地挑战自我。“日落之旅”篇章中，他将沿着汉江在汝矣岛奔跑，同时搭乘首尔新开通的汉江巴士，之后前往现代首尔购物中心购买运动服饰，最后登上63 Sky Picnic观景台欣赏首尔全景。

在“玩乐疗愈之旅”中，行程转向首尔西部青年文化中心弘大，体验高强度的休闲放松活动，包括实弹射击、荧光保龄球和传统的韩式头部水疗。最后一站“夜宵之旅”则探索首尔市中心的夜宵文化，跟随马苏的脚步，前往钟路区的广藏市场品尝生章鱼牛肉鞑靼，再到邻近的乙支路露天小巷享用烤五花肉。

这项由八部分组成的数字宣传活动（包括短视频、幕后花絮和社交媒体挑战）将于 11 月 13 日之前在首尔旅游局的日本 Instagram、X（前身为 Twitter）和 YouTube 频道上陆续推出。

城市旅游规划人员表示，他们希望通过互动形式和本地化的社交媒体策略，将首尔打造成为一个适合寻求积极、体验式旅行的单身男性旅行者的多功能目的地。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。