The capital of Seoul on Nov. 11 was named the world's second-best travel destination for entertainment at a ceremony for the inaugural Tourise Awards in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Shown is a scene from the festival Seoul Light DDP 2025 Autumn on Aug. 18 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul's Dongdaemun-gu District. (Lee Jeongwoo)

By Margareth Theresia

The nation's capital has gained recognition as a world-class entertainment hub.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government on Nov. 13 said the city ranked second in the category Best Entertainment Destination at a ceremony for the inaugural Tourise Awards on Nov. 11 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Sponsored by the Saudi government and hosted by the Saudi Tourism Authority, the honors promote the innovation and growth of global tourism.

Based on evaluation by an expert jury and comprehensive analysis of data on global travel, the awards pick the world's top tourist destinations in five categories: entertainment, arts and culture, food and cuisine, shopping and adventure.

Seoul finished second in entertainment after Tokyo and within the top 20 in food and cuisine and shopping.

The Tourise organizers reportedly highlighted Seoul's strengths like its combination of innovation and culture, K-pop's global influence, state-of-the-art entertainment sector and world-leading nightlife.

New York ranked No. 1 in arts and culture, Tokyo in food and cuisine, Paris in shopping and Ancash, Peru, in adventure.

For the fourth consecutive year, Seoul topped the list for Favorite Worldwide City by millennials and Gen Z of the U.S.-based media outlet Trazees Travel. It also won Best City for Solo Travel from TripAdvisor and Best Leisure Destination in Asia from Global Traveler.

margareth@korea.kr