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It's the right time to rock the night away in Busan
The view from Uam-dong Urban Forest gives off `La La Land' vibes
When Mayor Park Heong-joon gave his inaugural address, he vowed to make Busan a top-10 Asian city. In 2023, Mayor Park made good on his promise. According to prestigious international and domestic rankings, Busan is number one in at least one category돟 Tourism.
Busan is rapidly becoming a top travel destination. Trip.com, a leading online travel agency, recently awarded Busan its "2023 Emerging Popular Travel Destination" award. Busan and Vienna, Austria, shared the top spot among 1,211 cities worldwide.
The rankings are based on various criteria, including user reviews, searches, purchases, ratings and subscriptions. Trip.com is one of the largest international travel service providers, counting over 400 million active members. The award underscores Busan's rising profile as a worthy destination for globetrotters.
Trip.com also recognized Busan as a "2023 Best Overseas Partner." The award is given to 30 partners annually; Busan is one of seven partners in Asia, along with the Korean Tourism Organization and Hong Kong Disneyland.
The Trip.com awards capped off an impressive year for Busan's tourism industry. Earlier, National Geographic selected Busan as one of its "25 Breathtaking Places and Experiences for 2023." The global media giant introduces Busan as a culturally vibrant city and highlights Busan's film scene, coffee and craft beer culture, and Citizens Park as worthwhile experiences.
The city's rising profile is apparent on the street. The rate of international visitors to Busan is 416.2% higher than last year, outclassing the 373% growth nationwide. That Busan welcomes more foreign visitors than the rest of the country speaks to the city's post-COVID recovery.
As of August 2023, the number of international visitors to Busan reached 1.076 million people. Among this group, Japanese travelers numbered 191,528, or 17.8%, followed by Taiwanese travelers at 154,944, or 14.4%.
Busan has also made waves domestically. According to this year's "Satisfaction of Summer Vacation Destinations in Korea" survey conducted by Consumer Insight, Busan is the top-ranked leisure spot in the country. This marks Busan's first time claiming the top spot ahead of Jeju Island, which ranked no. 1 for seven years in a row.
Finally, eight locations citywide have been selected for the "Top 100 Nighttime Attractions in Korea," a list of must-visit places compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.
Busan's eight attractions are the most in any one area. Each location offers stunning night views and delightful experiences:
－Busan Christmas Culture Festival and Busan Diamond Tower in Yongdusan Park
－Gwangalli M Drone Light Show
－Dadaepo Sunset Fountain of Dreams
－Moonlight Galmaet-gil Trails
－Midnight Dinner Cruise
－Busan Fireworks Festival
－Seomyeon Light Festival and Jeonpo Cafe Street
－Haeundae Light Festival