Seoul selects 100 wellness destinations 2026

Seoul selected 100 destinations for its 2026 wellness tourism program on September 1, adding a new city-backed list meant to steer visitors toward meditation spaces, Korean medicine clinics, food venues, spas and arts sites. The selections were made from 217 candidates submitted through open applications and recommendations, according to a report published September 1 by Stripes Korea. A 14-member panel conducted multiple rounds of evaluations and site inspections before making the final cut. The city plans to feature the sites during Seoul Wellness Travel Week, which opens October 29. ### How was the list put together? The 217 candidates were reviewed through an application and recommendation process before a 14-member panel made the final selections, Stripes Korea reported. The panel conducted several rounds of evaluation and on-site inspections, the report said. Seoul Metropolitan Government used a similar structure for its earlier beauty and wellness list in 2025, when it said the program was designed to reflect global wellness trends and package the city’s offerings under broad lifestyle categories. (korea.stripes.com) In that 2025 release, the city said the list was intended for both local and international tourists. ### What kinds of places made the 2026 list? The 2026 list is divided into three large buckets, with 52 locations focused on rest and recovery, 17 on food, and 31 on beauty, spa, arts and cultural experiences, according to Stripes Korea. The rest-and-recovery group includes meditation, nature-based healing, medical services, traditional Korean medicine and wellness stays. (english.seoul.go.kr) Among the named sites are Bongeunsa Temple in Gangnam, Pilkyungjae, a hanok restaurant specializing in Korean royal court cuisine and hanjeongsik, and Boston Chamber Salon for classical music programming, the report said. Stripes Korea also listed medical and Korean medicine entries including Gangnam Medical Tour Center, Kyungokchae Herbal Pharmacy and several Korean medicine clinics. (korea.stripes.com) ### Is this a new idea or an expansion of an existing Seoul program? Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its first “Top 100” beauty and wellness destinations in October 2025, describing that list as the first of its kind. The city said then that the program covered healing services, traditional medicine and medical services, healthy food, K-beauty, and cultural arts. (korea.stripes.com) A January 2026 city feature continued promoting those destinations as a curated set of places for “rest, taste, and style,” highlighting forests, temples, tea, art and food as part of the wellness pitch. That suggests the 2026 selection sits within a broader Seoul effort to market wellness as a formal tourism category rather than a single seasonal event. (english.seoul.go.kr) ### Which visitors is Seoul trying to reach? Seoul Metropolitan Government said in its 2025 release that it would promote the destinations to local and international tourists and to industry professionals. The city’s tourism messaging has also increasingly tied wellness to broader experience-led travel products. (english.seoul.go.kr) In April 2026, the city and the Seoul Tourism Organization selected 10 tourism products for 2026, including offerings linked to wellness, K-content and nighttime tourism. That program included marketing support, certification and promotion through global online travel agencies, showing how Seoul is pairing curated attractions with bookable travel products. (english.seoul.go.kr) ### Why does Gangnam appear prominently in the rollout? Gangnam is specifically named in the 2026 rollout because this year’s Seoul Wellness Travel Week will place particular emphasis on the district, Stripes Korea reported. Bongeunsa Temple and Gangnam Medical Tour Center are among the listed destinations tied to that focus. The city has already used district-based promotion in earlier wellness campaigns. (english.seoul.go.kr) Its 2025 Beauty Travel Week was centered on Jung-gu, according to Seoul Metropolitan Government, while the 2026 version is set to shift attention to Gangnam through citywide programs built around selected sites. (korea.stripes.com) ### What comes next for travelers? Seoul Wellness Travel Week opens October 29, and the 100 selected locations are scheduled to be featured as part of that event, Stripes Korea reported. The report said the city plans programs that combine medical services, Korean medicine, beauty, food, culture and urban relaxation. The full Seoul Wellness Tourism 100 list and event details are being published through Seoul tourism channels, including Visit Seoul and related city tourism outlets. (english.seoul.go.kr) Seoul’s next tourism milestone after that is the continued promotion of certified 2026 tourism products through global booking platforms and city marketing programs. (tca.visitseoul.net) (korea.stripes.com)