In-depth interviews with 34 visitors from China, Taiwan, Japan and Europe

Busan residents' friendliness named city's top attraction

Mobile payment platforms, cleanliness also flagged as concerns

Busan city officials conduct in-depth interviews with 34 foreign tourists about their experiences visiting the city, from Aug. 22 to 24. [Provided by Busan city government]
Busan city officials conduct in-depth interviews with 34 foreign tourists about their experiences visiting the city, from Aug. 22 to 24. [Provided by Busan city government]

Foreign tourists visiting Busan say they are frustrated by a shortage of public trash cans and difficulties paying by card at traditional markets, according to a city survey released Wednesday.

The city of Busan conducted one-on-one in-depth interviews with 34 foreign tourists — 21 from China, Taiwan and Japan, and 13 from Germany, France, Italy and Canada — across three areas of the city: eastern Busan (15 people), the original city center (10) and western Busan (9).

The city has previously tracked tourism trends and satisfaction levels through statistics-based quantitative surveys and big data analysis of credit card and telecommunications data, but this marks the first time it has gathered opinions directly from tourists in the field. The interviews, each lasting 30 minutes per participant, were conducted over three days from Aug. 22 to 24 at major sites including Haeundae Beach, Gamcheon Culture Village and Yongdusan Park. Participants were recruited on-site at tourist attractions and through guesthouses in the surrounding areas.

Foreign visitors gave positive marks to Busan's tourism offerings — its natural scenery blending sea and mountains, the city's vibrant atmosphere and its diverse food scene. The friendliness of local residents stood out as the city's greatest draw and the top reason tourists said they would return, revealing that Busan's people themselves are a core tourism asset.

On the negative side, visitors commonly cited the shortage of public trash cans and difficulties using cards at some establishments, including traditional markets. The complaints varied by nationality, suggesting that tailored improvements are needed.

Visitors from Chinese-speaking regions, many of whom expressed strong interest in extended stays of a month or longer, raised specific concerns about transportation, payments and mobile services: multilingual labeling on taxi reservation and vacancy displays, expanded acceptance of WeChat Pay and Alipay, an improved public bicycle registration system for foreign users, and greater convenience in food delivery and restaurant reservation apps.

Japanese tourists flagged cleanliness and hygiene issues — odors in public restrooms, cigarette butts near restaurants and sewer smells around the Seomyeon area. European and North American visitors, meanwhile, cited two main frustrations: insufficient Busan tourism information available through Google Maps, and low awareness of the Visit Busan Pass leaving travelers without practical trip-planning information.

The city plans to share the findings with relevant departments covering transportation, the environment and the economy, as well as with district and county offices. Once the third supplementary budget clears the city council, Busan will begin addressing the most immediately solvable issues, starting with placing more trash cans at tourist sites.


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com