Tokyo expo highlights Seoul after dark to showcase city's round-the-clock appeal

Seoul promoted its after-dark tourism appeal at Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 in Tokyo, using a dedicated Visit Seoul pavilion to target Japanese travelers. The booth featured late-night safety, transit and entertainment, and drew about 3,200 public visitors over the weekend. Seoul Tourism Organization officials said Japan remains a crucial market and that the campaign aims to sustain tourism momentum and support regional economic growth.

Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 was held at Tokyo Big Sight from Thursday through Sunday and drew roughly 130,000 visitors.

The Seoul Tourism Organization ran a Visit Seoul pavilion under the theme Day and Night in Seoul for All Ages.

Nine Korean tourism enterprises joined the pavilion, including luxury hotels, duty-free retailers, performing arts shows and yacht operators.

Business-to-business sessions on Thursday and Friday produced more than 140 one-on-one meetings with Japanese travel agencies and trade buyers.

The public booth attracted roughly 3,200 visitors over the weekend.

Published Sep 28, 2026 11:59 am KST

Visitors enjoy a promotional performance at Seoul's booth during Tourism Expo Japan 2026. Courtesy of Seoul Tourism Organization

From midnight street-food sampling in market alleys to late-night shopping in illuminated retail districts, Seoul is actively marketing its reputation as a safe, 24-hour urban playground.

At Tourism EXPO Japan 2026, held at Tokyo Big Sight from Thursday through Sunday, the Seoul Tourism Organization put the capital’s after-dark culture front and center to woo travelers from one of its largest visitor markets.

Operating a dedicated Visit Seoul pavilion under the theme "Day and Night in Seoul for All Ages," officials highlighted the city's unique mix of round-the-clock safety, late-night transit and evening entertainment to an international travel fair that drew roughly 130,000 visitors.

The pavilion’s design paired morning yellow — Seoul's official color for 2026 representing the city's bright mornings — with deep purple accents celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Discover Seoul Pass to evoke its bustling nightlife. Visitors took part in interactive activities, including a popular wheel-spinning event where participants selected top day and night attractions, highlighting Seoul's safety, accessible public transit and late-night entertainment.

Nine major Korean tourism enterprises, spanning luxury hotels, duty-free retailers, performing arts shows and yacht operators, joined the pavilion. During the business-to-business sessions on Thursday and Friday, representatives completed over 140 one-on-one meetings with Japanese travel agencies and trade buyers to craft new tour packages. Over the weekend, the booth opened to the public, drawing roughly 3,200 visitors who experienced cultural showcases and learned about the city's foreign-exclusive all-in-one transit and attraction pass.

The promotional push comes as Japanese tourism to Korea reaches historic highs, fueled by a shared love for K-pop, television dramas and regional cuisine. While neighboring Asian travel markets face fluctuating demand, Korea continues to draw millions of international visitors eager to explore beyond standard sightseeing routes.

"Japan remains a crucial market with immense affection for Korean culture," said Lee Jun, head of the global tourism industry team at the Seoul Tourism Organization. "By inviting travelers to experience Seoul by day and night, we aim to drive regional economic growth through sustained tourism momentum."

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

首尔在东京举办的2026年日本旅游博览会上大力推广其夜间旅游，设立了专门的“首尔旅游”展馆，旨在吸引日本游客。该展馆重点展示了夜间安全、交通和娱乐设施，周末期间吸引了约3200名公众参观。首尔旅游局官员表示，日本仍然是首尔的重要市场，此次推广活动旨在保持旅游业发展势头，并支持区域经济增长。

2026 年日本旅游博览会于周四至周日在东京国际展览中心举行，吸引了约 13 万名参观者。

首尔旅游局举办了以“首尔日夜，老少咸宜”为主题的首尔旅游展馆。

共有九家韩国旅游企业参展，包括豪华酒店、免税零售商、表演艺术团体和游艇运营商。

周四和周五的商务洽谈会促成了与日本旅行社和贸易买家的 140 多场一对一会谈。

周末期间，公众展位吸引了约 3200 名参观者。

发布于2026年9月28日上午11:59（韩国标准时间）

在2026年日本旅游博览会期间，参观者在首尔展位欣赏宣传表演。图片由首尔旅游局提供。

从午夜在市场小巷品尝街头小吃，到深夜在灯火通明的商业区购物，首尔正积极宣传其作为安全、24 小时不间断的都市游乐场的声誉。

在周四至周日于东京国际展览中心举行的 2026 年日本旅游博览会上，首尔旅游局将首都的夜生活文化放在了中心位置，以吸引来自其最大游客市场之一的游客。

首尔旅游局设立了以“老少咸宜的首尔日夜游”为主题的专门展馆，向吸引了约 13 万名游客的国际旅游博览会重点介绍了首尔全天候安全、深夜交通和夜间娱乐的独特组合。

展馆的设计以晨曦黄（首尔2026年的官方颜色，象征着这座城市明媚的清晨）搭配深紫色点缀，庆祝首尔探索通票十周年，旨在展现首尔活力四射的夜生活。参观者参与了多项互动活动，其中包括广受欢迎的转盘游戏，参与者可以选出最受欢迎的日间和夜间景点，从而了解首尔的安全、便捷的公共交通和丰富的夜间娱乐活动。

九家韩国大型旅游企业，涵盖豪华酒店、免税零售商、表演艺术演出和游艇运营商等领域，共同参展。在周四和周五的商务洽谈会上，各企业代表与日本旅行社和贸易买家进行了超过140场一对一会谈，共同打造新的旅游产品。周末，展位向公众开放，吸引了约3200名参观者，他们体验了精彩的文化展示，并了解了该市专为外国游客推出的包含交通和景点在内的全套通票。

此次推广活动正值日本赴韩旅游人数创历史新高之际，这主要得益于日本人对韩流音乐、韩剧和地方美食的共同热爱。尽管邻近的亚洲旅游市场需求波动不定，韩国依然吸引着数百万渴望探索传统观光路线之外的国际游客。

首尔旅游局全球旅游业团队负责人李俊表示：“日本仍然是韩国文化的重要市场，他们对韩国文化有着深厚的感情。我们希望通过邀请游客体验首尔的日夜风情，以持续的旅游业发展势头推动区域经济增长。”

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。