"I rushed to the bakery as soon as I got off the plane," said Kaya, a 35-year-old tourist from Guangzhou, China, who visited a popular bakery in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on November 3. Despite it being well past lunchtime, the waiting area was crowded with foreign tourists pulling luggage or carrying backpacks. Staff members called out waiting numbers in a mix of Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Inside, tourists compared recommended menu items they had captured from social media on their smartphones while selecting baked goods.
Kaya explained, "I came here first after entering Korea. I heard there were too many people in the morning, so I came in the afternoon to wait in line. I found this place through posts on Xiaohongshu (the Chinese version of Instagram). Korean bakeries have stylish interiors and packaging, and there are more varieties of bread compared to China, making it fun to choose from."
Another famous bakery near Anguk Station on Subway Line 3 also had long lines waiting to enter as closing time approached. Even for takeout, customers waited over 10 minutes, with Japanese and Chinese being the most frequently heard languages. The bakery had dedicated staff managing the flow of customers.
The trend of 'bakery pilgrimages' has become a travel activity for both locals and foreign tourists. Visitors seek out products they have seen on social media, sharing their experiences through photos and videos. Bakeries have emerged as key destinations, shaping travel itineraries rather than just being a stop along the way.
Korean bakeries and desserts are gaining popularity through social media. On Instagram, posts tagged with 'koreandessert' have surpassed 240,000, while 'koreancafe' and 'koreanbakery' have over 240,000 and 30,000 posts, respectively. Foreign tourists share real-time photos and videos of the visual appeal and atmosphere of Korean bakeries, prompting others to visit these establishments.
The bakery pilgrimage trend extends to road shops, large department stores, and shopping malls. On November 4, at the dessert section of Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam, Seoul, foreign tourists were seen bustling about with insulated bags and shopping bags, even on a weekday. A popular brand of fruit rice cakes had an online waiting list of 137 people, leading to early closure of waiting registration.
From January to September this year, foreign sales of bakery products at Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam increased by 258% compared to the same period last year. Lyn, a 31-year-old tourist from Singapore, shared, "After waiting in line for nearly an hour, I finally bought the products. It was worth the wait because I can only eat this in Korea."
Data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab shows that foreign tourist spending on baked goods and beverages reached approximately 377.2 billion won from January to September this year, a 57.5% increase from about 239.4 billion won during the same period last year. This indicates a shift in foreign tourist spending from traditional Korean cuisine and shopping to desserts and café culture.
The bakery boom has also transformed the domestic bakery ecosystem. According to the National Tax Service's statistics on the '100 Major Living Industries,' the number of bakery businesses in South Korea reached 24,856 as of September this year, an increase of 1,018 (4.27%) from the same month last year. Notably, the number of bakeries in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, where foreign visitors are concentrated, increased by 212 (9.28%), while Busan's Haeundae-gu and Jeju City saw increases of 184 (9.52%) and 464 (15.15%), respectively.
A large-scale event promoting K-bakery is set to take place from November 18 to 20 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Major domestic bakery companies like Sungsimdang, Paris Baguette, and CJ Foodville, along with over 100 small bakery businesses, will participate to showcase the excellence of K-bakery.
Experts suggest that the reason foreigners seek out bakeries goes beyond mere meals or snacks; it reflects a higher-level cultural consumption that allows them to experience Korean lifestyles firsthand. Lee Eun-hee, a professor of consumer studies at Inha University, noted, "Bakeries that require waiting in line are not just about paying money to get something immediately; they require time and effort to obtain. Foreign tourists feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction after going through the long waiting process to get the products."
She added, "While past foreign tourists focused on traditional attractions like palaces and historical sites, there has been a shift towards embodying the food culture and spatial aesthetics enjoyed by Koreans in their daily lives. The process of visiting hot spots that have gained attention on social media, waiting in line, and sharing that experience online has become a core tourism content that allows them to fully experience Korean life."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.