The Seoul Metropolitan Government and Wad, the developer behind the app Catch Table, will sign a business agreement Tuesday to make it easier for international tourists without Korean phone numbers to make restaurant reservations and join online queues.

The move comes amid an increase in the number of international visitors coming to South Korea for culinary tourism purposes. According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in 2022, 68 percent of tourists answered that they were visiting Korea for culinary tourism reasons, an increase from 61.3 percent recorded in 2019.

Following the business agreement, the Seoul Metropolitan Government said that international tourists will be able to make restaurant reservations or queue online using their emails when visiting restaurants based in Seoul.

Previously, international visitors found it difficult to use Catch Table to make reservations or join virtual queues as the app required users to enter their Korean phone numbers, according to the city government.

Through the joint agreement, the two organizations will collaborate to revitalize Seoul’s food culture, promote culinary events based in the capital and expand the number of stores using the English version of Catch Table.

“The satisfaction international tourists feel visiting Seoul depends highly on their culinary experiences,” said Kim Young-hwan, head of the city government’s Tourism and Sports Bureau.

“The city government will continue to strive to improve our tourism infrastructure to showcase Seoul as an attractive city where visitors want to stay longer and come back in the future.”