News
Busan achieves historic tourism milestone, then aims higher
source: visitbusan
Busan City has reached a significant tourism milestone, welcoming more than 3 million international visitors as of the end of October 2025. This marks the first time the city has surpassed the 3-million threshold in a single year, recording 3,019,164 visitors so far.
The top visitor groups by country are Taiwan (564,496 visitors), China (483,069), Japan (460,617), the United States (209,468) and the Philippines (146,051).
City officials attribute the surge to inbound tourism strategies, such as developing experience-based travel content, hosting major cultural events and strengthening offerings in gastronomy and cruise tourism.
International tourist spending reached 859.2 billion won as of October, a 31.5% year-on-year increase and the fastest growth rate in the country.
Looking ahead, Busan aims to attract 5 million international visitors and generate 1.5 trillion won in annual tourism spending by 2028. The city will pursue these targets through expanded infrastructure, a wider tourism footprint and enhanced cultural content.
Key projects include the construction of the Busan Opera House and a satellite branch of Centre Pompidou, the Paris-based modern art museum; the development of Hwangnyeongsan Mountain into a major observation and leisure hub; and the overhaul of Suyeongman Bay Yacht Center to upgrade marine tourism.
Additionally, the completion of BEXCO’s third exhibition hall will elevate Busan’s competitiveness in the MICE tourism sector.
Furthermore, Busan will improve global accessibility by expanding mid- to long-haul flight routes at Gimhae International Airport, including regional airport-exclusive traffic rights and new international routes.
Finally, Busan will continue to make traveling easy for international tourists by enhancing the Visit Busan Pass and upgrading public transportation.
<Today's Vocabulary - 오늘의 단어>
significant: 중요한 surpass: 능가하다 attribute to: ~를 원인으로 보다 surge: 급증 completion: 완성
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