Seoul markets its 24-hour appeal at Tourism EXPO Japan 2026

# What happened Seoul set up a dedicated Visit Seoul pavilion at Tourism EXPO Japan 2026, held at Tokyo Big Sight. The pavilion ran under the theme "Day and Night in Seoul for All Ages," with a visual design that mixed morning yellow (Seoul's official color for 2026) and deep purple to reference nightlife and the 10th anniversary of the Discover Seoul Pass.

# Why Seoul focused on nighttime Seoul framed itself as a safe, round-the-clock urban destination where visitors can sample midnight street food, shop late into the evening and use late-night transit. The goal was to appeal to Japanese travelers, one of Korea's largest visitor markets, and to expand tourism beyond standard daytime sightseeing.

# What visitors saw and did

# Trade outcomes During the expo's business-to-business sessions, Seoul's representatives completed more than 140 one-on-one meetings with Japanese travel agencies and trade buyers. These meetings were aimed at developing new tour packages that foreground Seoul's evening economy and round-the-clock services.

# Partners and programming Nine major Korean tourism enterprises joined the pavilion. The participating companies covered luxury hotels, duty-free retailers, performing arts shows and yacht operators, providing a cross-section of products that can support overnight and late-evening itineraries.

# Context for the push Japanese tourism to Korea is at historically high levels, driven by shared interest in K-pop, TV dramas and regional cuisine. Seoul's promotional push targets sustained growth in regional tourism by encouraging visitors to experience the city after dark as well as by day.

# What officials said Lee Jun, head of the global tourism industry team at the Seoul Tourism Organization, said Japan remains a crucial market with strong interest in Korean culture and that the objective was to invite travelers to experience Seoul day and night to support regional economic growth.

# Immediate implications for travelers and operators

• Travelers: The campaign highlights options for late-night dining, nighttime shopping and use of transit and attraction passes that consolidate access to services after hours.
• Tour operators: The 140-plus meetings indicate concrete progress in creating Japan-targeted packages that include nighttime elements.

# Bottom line Seoul used Tourism EXPO Japan 2026 to position its evening economy as a selling point for Japanese visitors, combining public-facing engagement with focused trade negotiations to convert interest into tour products.