“Glowcation” is the new beauty journey: Why skincare lovers are increasingly choosing Seoul

Travel is no longer just about sightseeing, and skincare is no longer just a routine in front of the mirror. Their combination has been given a new name – “glowcation” – and is currently benefiting Seoul the most, a city where tourists can combine Korean cosmetics shopping, consultations, treatments, food, and classic sightseeing. The trend is particularly interesting because it shows how K-beauty has gone from being an export product to a reason to travel in itself.

Vogue Business cites examples of content creators organizing trips to Seoul, with a program that combines beauty clinics, shopping for local brands, and exploring the city. At the same time, Korean chains and brands are expanding beyond their home markets: Olive Young is opening new brick-and-mortar locations, while a partnership with Sephora is set to bring select Korean brands to hundreds of stores in the U.S. In other words, interest in K-beauty is growing both at home and abroad.

Figures from Seoul show that behind the attractive name lies a much larger tourist flow. According to the city administration, the number of international medical tourists in Seoul increased from 473.340 in 2023 to 999.642 in 2024. This category is broader than aesthetic and dermatological treatments, but it shows how health, care and travel have become intertwined in the city's offerings.

For travelers, the opportunity to see products that have not yet reached their market, get a personalized skin or hair analysis, and learn about beauty culture outside of social media is attractive. However, buying a serum is not the same as a medical treatment. For lasers, injections, and other procedures, you should check the license of the clinic and doctor, clearly understand the risks and recovery time, and expect that subsequent control will be more difficult after returning home.

The best version of a glowcation is not a race to get as many treatments as possible, but a thoughtful journey in which the beauty experience takes up only a small portion of the schedule. For most visitors, this might mean a shopping spree, a makeup workshop, a consultation, and the occasional non-invasive treatment, with plenty of time for museums, neighborhoods, markets, and food. Seoul is selling more than just glowing skin with this trend, it’s a cultural package – and that’s why the glowcation will be talked about for a long time to come.

Article prepared with the support of AI tools.