2.93 million through July, putting 4 million annual target within reach

Taiwan, China, Japan, US lead; Chinese-speaking visitors account for half

98.1% of arrivals via Gimhae airport stay in the Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang region

Foreign tourists, including BTS fans, crowd Busan Asiad Main Stadium during a BTS concert in June. [Yonhap]
Foreign tourists, including BTS fans, crowd Busan Asiad Main Stadium during a BTS concert in June. [Yonhap]

The number of foreign visitors to Busan surpassed 3 million in early August, putting the city's annual target of 4 million well within reach.

Busan city said Friday that 2,927,674 foreign tourists visited the city from January through July, reaching 73.2 percent of the 4 million annual target. That represents a 46.1 percent increase from 2,003,466 visitors during the same period last year, outpacing the national growth rate of 21.3 percent by 24.8 percentage points.

July alone drew 507,045 foreign visitors, setting a new monthly record for the second consecutive month after 484,057 in June. Busan's share of all foreign visitors to South Korea in July reached 24.2 percent, meaning roughly one in four international arrivals in the country visited the city.

Given that monthly visitor numbers have been running in the 400,000 to 500,000 range recently, the city estimates the 3 million mark was crossed in early August. Last year was the first time annual foreign visitors to Busan exceeded 3 million, with that milestone reached in October. This year, the city hit the figure roughly two months earlier.

Among foreign visitors to Busan in July, Taiwan led with 128,000, followed by China with 125,000, Japan with 49,000 and the United States with 40,000. Taiwan was up 88.3 percent year-on-year, accounting for 25.2 percent of the total, while China rose 80.3 percent to 24.7 percent — meaning Chinese-speaking visitors made up roughly half of all arrivals. For the January–July period, Taiwan accounted for 605,000 visitors (up 60.1 percent), China 594,000 (up 88.4 percent) and Japan 340,000 (up 27.5 percent).

American visitors also surged, with 259,675 arriving from January through July, a 78.4 percent increase from the same period last year. That growth rate is more than six times the national figure of 11.6 percent for US visitors to South Korea, underscoring that Busan is drawing long-haul travelers as a destination in its own right despite having no direct flights from the Americas.

Gimhae International Airport, the main gateway to Busan and the broader southeastern region, has been central to this growth. Notably, 50.2 percent of foreign arrivals through Gimhae stayed in Busan, while 47.9 percent traveled to nearby areas including South Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan. Only 1.9 percent moved on to the Greater Seoul metropolitan area, meaning 98.1 percent of arrivals remained within the southeastern region.

The surge in foreign tourists has also translated into higher spending. Foreign card transactions in Busan from January through July totaled 742.3 billion won ($546 million), up 50.8 percent from the same period last year. Medical tourism spending jumped 118.4 percent, giving Busan a 37 percent share of such spending nationwide outside Seoul — the highest of any city.

Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the focus must now shift from headcounts to the quality of visits. "What matters now is not how many people came, but how long they stayed and how deeply they experienced the city," he said. "The fact that 98 percent of foreign arrivals through Gimhae International Airport stay in Busan and the southeastern region rather than heading to the metropolitan area shows the potential we have. We will concentrate the city's resources on extending the length of stays and broadening tourism spending."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com