A tourism event aimed at extending K-beauty consumption into travel itineraries in Korea has begun.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization opened the "2026 Korea Beauty Festival" at HiKR Ground in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, and said they will run a K-beauty tourism promotion for foreign tourists through Sept. 30.
The event focuses on expanding K-beauty demand, which had been concentrated on cosmetics purchases, into experience-based tourism products including makeup, hair, fashion, wellness, and medical tourism. According to the Korea Tourism Data Lab, foreign tourists spent 843.3 billion won in the beauty sector last year, up 38% from the previous year. The figure combines offline payments across hot springs, hair salons, nail care, massage, makeup, skin and body care, cosmetics, and drugstores.
At the opening ceremony, the organization appointed actress Hyeri as a KBF promotional model. Hyeri appears in the festival's promotional video and will publicize K-beauty tourism through the organization's overseas promotional channels and global travel platforms. The organization's overseas promotional channels have a combined 8 million followers.
On Wednesday, the organization will hold a travel mart and welcome dinner involving 48 companies, including 39 travel industry firms from 16 countries as well as beauty and medical industry players. The dinner will feature honorary ambassadors for Korean tourism Kyoko Hasegawa, Ceci de la Cueva, and Chadraval Gangin, who will host a talk show on the theme of K-beauty and Korean tourism.
Through Sunday, a familiarization tour will continue, with 93 overseas travel operators and influencers visiting beauty, wellness, and medical tourism destinations across the country, including Seoul, Jeju, Busan, and Gangwon. The organization plans to connect regional tourist sites to actual travel products through on-site visits.
Experience events for general consumers will also be held. From Tuesday through Saturday, the front yard and the fourth and fifth floors of HiKR Ground will offer AI personal color diagnosis, makeup, hair, wellness, and fashion experiences, and expert beauty classes. Nine global travel platforms — Mafengwo, Waug, Konest, Creatrip, Klook, Travoloka, Trip.com, Hanyumang, and KKday — will hold special exhibitions through Sept. 30, selling about 800 types of beauty tourism products.
"As the trend of 'go to Korea and become beautiful' spreads on social media, Korea is drawing attention as a 'glow-cation' destination," said Park Sung-hyuk, president of the Korea Tourism Organization. "We will use this festival as an opportunity to connect interest in K-beauty to actual visits to Korea and consumption."
