To preserve and utilise cultural heritage in Seoul, many efforts have been made, including Preservation of Bukchon, Seoul Future Heritage and Architectural Assets. Global interest in Korean culture has increased with the expansion of content platform market. This has raised Seoul citizens' interest in their unique cultural heritage, which has been previously overlooked. Despite the evolving status of cultural heritage, most programs remain observational, starkly contrasting with dynamic and participatory experiences that are increasingly in demand. Although there have been efforts to create immersive programs around Seoul's iconic sites, such as royal palaces and Hanyangdoseong, these programs have become standardised over time, moving away from public demand.

In May 2024, the new "National Heritage Act" was set to be implemented. The conventional “Cultural Heritage Protection Act" in 1962 was based on 'cultural property’ with a strong characteristic as a physical commodity. It was difficult to encompass diverse types of heritage including intangible heritage. Furthermore, it lacked consistency with the World Heritage Convention. The National Heritage Act clarifies 'the right of the people to enjoy cultural heritage' and enables active utilisation of cultural heritage for cultural development. In the past, cultural heritage had been a passive subject of protection and management. Additionally, the new act specifies the creation of cultural heritage value in harmony with socio-economic activities of the people to promote regional revitalisation.

Today’s social trends and institutional changes are heightening the demand for the heritage industry to add new values more than ever. The heritage industry gives shape to the economic potential of cultural heritage by creating added value through developing, producing and distributing relevant contents and products related to a given cultural heritage. The UK pioneered this industry. Having recognised the significance of cultural heritage from early on, the UK government has enthusiastically promoted the growth of heritage industry based on a substantial amount of nationalised cultural heritage. Meanwhile, the heritage industry can benefit from the inherent, complete value of the heritage and facilitate economic growth without needing additional labor inputs to manufacture tangible products.

This study analysed the demand for Seoul's heritage industry in terms of key content development of heritage. It provides policy propositions for the growth of Seoul’s heritage industry. Firstly, programs should cater more to main consumers, the young generation. Statistics showed that young people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, were the most prominent participants of cultural experiences such as heritage site visitation, exhibitions and performances. These young people, demographically mostly single, prioritise their own gratification. They are far more open to sharing their experiences on social media. They also prefer activities for individuals or small groups of friends over family activities. Given this context, photo zones at heritage sites could facilitate self-expression and enhance enjoyment.

Moreover, the digitally savvy young generation feels comfortable in online environments, spending a significant amount of time on online games and in virtual worlds. Thanks to AR technology, there are increasingly high-quality programs offering unique experiences of cultural heritage, some of which are of such a high level of completion that they justify being paid services. However, such programs should emphasise content with historical accuracy based on thorough research to meet both entertainment and educational objectives rather than relying on fictional stories that cater to fleeting trends. This approach will help build trust in related industries and maintain public interest in cultural heritage.

Reasons for visiting Seoul are constantly diversifying. Thus, it is imperative to segment contents of heritage industry and expand the market. Heritage activities observed in foreign visitors differed depending on their purpose of visit. For instance, those who were visiting Seoul for business participated less in cultural heritage activities than those who visited for leisure, friends and family and for educational purposes. Tailored programs that offer light, stress-relieving cultural experiences for after-work hours can be beneficial. Recent development in tourist programs paired with medical, wellness, or business aspects are drawing attention. The heritage industry could also introduce such approach and develop program contents.

The discovery of new cultural heritages that reflect Seoul's unique identity could stimulate new demand. Northeast Asian tourists, a dominant foreign visitor group in Korea before the pandemic, often engages less in cultural heritage programs. This is due to the perceived superiority of their home culture or similarity of both cultures. This underscores the need for distinctive Seoul-centric programs such as Korea’s North-South division and democratisation, etc. Cultural programs paired with the Hallyu could also attract global attention.

The analysis of visitor activities suggests that shopping and dining are predominant activities of both domestic and foreign tourists. Programs related to cultural heritage came after natural landscape for foreign visitors, while they ranked fourth following cultural activities among domestic visitors. To elevate interest in cultural heritage and invigorate related industries, integrative programs are called for. It could match shopping, dining, natural landscape and cultural tourism with heritage experiences. This strategy will be more effective with a flexible approach that reflects contemporary demand rather than adhering strictly to traditional methods

Particularly, performances and exhibitions at heritage sites should be planned considering unique characteristics of the given space. Experiences created within these historical contexts can forge memorable connections, fostering a sense of pride and proactive preservation among participants, as demonstrated by multiple cases. This approach can also mitigate risks of vandalism and damage that entails projects of the heritage industry for direct utilisation of the heritage in times of enhanced accessibility to cultural heritage like today.

Survey results indicated that the average Seoul resident visited cultural heritage no more than once a year. This low level of engagement with cultural heritage is attributed to its failure to provide fresh inspiration. This trend is consistent for both domestic and international visitors. Notably, the more often foreign visitors visited Korea, the less satisfied they were with activities related to cultural heritage, in contrast to shopping or culinary experiences. This was due to the lack of diversity in cultural heritage programs. In other words, the heritage industry failed to offer unique cultural experiences. Therefore, follow-up research and investigation should aim to derive various interpretations of cultural heritage and design new programs.

Narrative expansion by connecting different heritage in proximity might provide new insights and add new values to the existing cultural heritage. This new approach can spark interest in previously unknown facts about the heritage. It might even disclose other lesser-known heritage, fostering continued engagement and exploration of the public. Elevating public interest in cultural heritage not only activates the industry, but also enhances Seoul's historical image on the global stage.

Demand analysis for Seoul’s heritage industry strongly suggests that cooperation between the public sector (Seoul Metropolitan Government, district governments and the central government), private sector and local residents and visitors is highly necessary, along with developing key heritage content.

Shared characteristics of some heritage sites are under different management authorities. They are in dire need of collaborative management. Take Hanyangdoseong for example; various heritage assets including Sungnyemun, Heunginjimun and Namsan Beacons are all located close to one another along the four inner mountains of Seoul. Despite the fact that they are all fortress-related facilities, different authorities manage each of them. To synergise the heritage industry, marketing strategies and comprehensive programs will require cooperation between different actors in the public sector.

When outsourcing to the private sector due to the lack of manpower or expertise, it is also important to allow sufficient time for planning and designing to ensure the quality of programs. Once programs are running, continuous and regular monitoring is needed to enable qualitative enhancement. On top of that, strict construction management will help minimise damages incurred to the heritage.

Popular and well-known cultural heritages such as palaces, Jongmyo and royal tombs are drawing significant attention from both inside and outside of the country. However, heritage in a community requires additional effort to preserve its cultural and historical values and boost local economy through the heritage industry. This will call for a steady public-private cooperation. Particularly, local heritage programs with children as the main audience can foster not only continued public interest, but also increase spontaneous engagement of local people of various age groups, thereby promoting regional revitalisation.