The Seoul Metropolitan Government said on the first that it had selected and finalized 100 places where people can experience restoration within the city as the “Seoul Wellness Tourism 100.” The initiative seeks to turn the growing trend of people traveling for meditation and healing into a citywide tourism asset.
100 selected from 217 sites after three rounds of screening
The candidates included 217 sites submitted through an open call, expert recommendations and public nominations. Seoul ultimately selected 100 of them. A selection committee made up of 14 experts and local specialists conducted first- and second-round document reviews, followed by on-site inspections. Han Yi-kyung, a CEO with experience in global hotel development, chaired the committee.
This year’s theme is “Seoul, Defines the next wellness.”
Rest: 52 sites, Taste: 17, Style: 31
The 100 sites are divided into three categories. The largest, “Rest,” includes 52 sites covering healing and meditation, nature-based therapies, medical and traditional Korean medicine, and stays. The “Taste” category focuses on healthy food culture and gastronomy, with 17 sites selected. The “Style” category, which encompasses beauty, spas and culture and the arts, includes 31 sites.
Notably, meditation facilities were not placed in a separate category but alongside nature-based therapies and traditional Korean medicine under the broader “Rest” category. The structure treats meditation not as a standalone program but as one form of the restorative experience the city offers.
Temples, hanok homes and salons share one list
The three sites Seoul highlighted as examples illustrate the character of each category. Bongeunsa Temple was selected in the “Rest” category. Officials cited its nighttime temple meditation program, which lets visitors experience Gangnam’s urban nighttime views alongside the tranquility of a thousand-year-old temple. In the “Taste” category, Seoul introduced Pilgyeongjae, which serves royal court cuisine and traditional Korean set meals in a 500-year-old hanok. The “Style” category includes Boston Chamber Salon, which hosts classical music busking performances.
Han Yi-kyung, chair of the selection committee, said, “Seoul has ample potential to create new wellness standards that draw global attention, with tradition and modernity, and nature and the city, coexisting here.”
Full introduction at Travel Week in late October
Seoul also announced plans to develop the 100 selected sites into signature tourism content for the city. The strategy calls for linking them to tourism products and programs while strengthening domestic and international promotion and marketing. The 2026 Seoul Wellness Travel Week, opening Oct. 29, will serve as the main platform for introducing the 100 sites.
Jo Seong-ho, head of Seoul’s Tourism and Sports Bureau, said, “We will provide active support so Seoul can establish itself as a key city leading the global wellness tourism market.”
An open door for meditation facilities
The selection also carries significance for meditation centers and program operators. Once meditation gains a place on the tourism policy roster, promotional and distribution channels open up alongside it. The full list of the 100 sites, detailed lists by category and plans for turning them into tourism products are expected to be disclosed in greater detail around Travel Week.