'BE LOCAL' campaign spotlights Busan as a global food destination, offering discounts, reservations and payments at Michelin-selected restaurants

Promotional image for the BE LOCAL campaign [Busan City]
Promotional image for the BE LOCAL campaign [Busan City]

Busan city said Wednesday it is running a "BE LOCAL" campaign through July 19, using Naver Maps to introduce foreign tourists to the city's top restaurants, cafes and shopping spots.

Naver conceived the BE LOCAL campaign to showcase local attractions across South Korea to international visitors. It launched in Seoul in the first half of last year before expanding to Gyeongju — host city of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit — in the second half.

This year the campaign turns its focus to Busan, which has drawn global attention as a culinary destination since the Michelin Guide began covering the city. Built around the concept of "experiencing Busan the most local way possible," it introduces more than 300 hotspots across the city — including Haeundae, Seomyeon and Gijang — to help foreign tourists who struggle to find good restaurants because of language barriers.

Visitors can browse recommended spots under the BE LOCAL tab at the top of the multilingual version of Naver Maps, where they can collect discount coupons for Michelin-selected restaurants and complete reservations, payments and check-ins in one place. Eighty-five top-rated restaurants across Busan are already participating, with the number expected to reach around 100 by the end of the campaign and ultimately grow to roughly 200.

The campaign will receive a concentrated promotional push this month, timed to coincide with the BTS World Tour "Arirang in Busan" concerts on June 12 and 13. City officials expect the tie-in to extend visitors' stays and boost spending by connecting the concerts to a Busan food tour before and after the performances.

Busan is targeting 5 million foreign tourist arrivals and is developing culinary tourism as a core attraction.

"Busan is a food city we can confidently present to visitors from around the world — from Michelin-selected restaurants to long-standing neighborhood favorites," said Na Yun-bin, the city's director of tourism and MICE. "We hope this campaign with Naver will introduce Busan's food culture to foreign tourists and cement the city's reputation as a destination people travel to specifically to eat."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com