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Busan Welcomes Record 30,000 Foreign Medical Tourists in 2024 — Highest Ever, Ranking No.1 Among Non-Capital Regions

내용

Busan Metropolitan City announced that in 2024, the city hosted 30,165 foreign medical tourists, achieving the highest number ever since launching medical tourism initiatives in 2009.

This figure marks a 2.3-fold increase compared to the 12,912 visitors in 2023, and a 1.5-fold increase compared to the pre-pandemic peak in 2019 (19,748 visitors). Busan reached its 2026 target of 30,000 visitors two years ahead of schedule.

National Rankings & Growth

In terms of national rankings, Busan rose from 5th to 3rd place, behind only Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and became the top non-capital region for attracting foreign medical tourists. Other popular destinations included Jeju, Incheon, and Daegu.

Country & Treatment Preferences

According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, most foreign medical tourists to Busan in 2024 came from:

• ●Japan (24.3%)

• ●Taiwan (23.9%)

• ●China (11.8%)

• ●Russia (9.5%)

• ●Vietnam (6.3%)

• ●USA (5.2%)

Taiwan showed remarkable growth, surging 18-fold (1,840.5%) from the previous year, followed by Japan, China, and Mongolia. This growth is attributed to increased demand for dermatology procedures from Japanese and Taiwanese tourists and health check-ups from Mongolian visitors.

Most Visited Medical Departments

The most popular medical specialties among foreign visitors were:

• 1.Dermatology (40.2%)

• 2.Plastic Surgery (14.3%)

• 3.Health Check-ups (11.2%)

• 4.Internal Medicine (9.0%)

• 5.Dentistry (5.7%)

Dermatology saw the most significant growth (674%), followed by Oriental Medicine (170.8%), Dentistry (156.5%), and Plastic Surgery (127.8%). Meanwhile, Internal Medicine saw a 15.3% decrease due to the rise of lighter procedure-focused tourism.

Where They Visited: Busan Districts

Most medical tourists visited:

• ●Busanjin-gu (60.4%) – known for its concentration of dermatology and plastic surgery clinics, especially in Seomyeon

• ●Haeundae-gu (9.9%)

• ●Dong-gu (6.7%)

• ●Seo-gu (6.6%)

• ●Jung-gu (6.0%)

Busanjin-gu saw a 330% increase in visitors, and 91% of dermatology tourists visited this district.

While Seo-gu, home to Busan’s major general hospitals, saw a slight decrease, 38% of internal medicine patients still visited the area, showing its role in treating serious conditions.

Strategy for 2025 and Beyond

In 2025, Busan plans to launch a Basic Plan for Medical Tourism Activation, centered around the concept of a “Special Interest Tourism (SIT) City.” The city will invest KRW 3 billion, including KRW 1.5 billion in national funding, to implement the following:

• ●Support for licensed interpreters and international medical institutions

• ●Concierge services including translation and transportation

• ●Promotion of local medical technologies

• ●Development of 12 new medical tourism packages and incentives for 7 wellness tour groups

• ●Domestic and international roadshows and exhibitions

The strategy will focus on specialized branding and targeted marketing by treatment area and country.

Kim Hyun-jae, Director of Busan’s Tourism & MICE Bureau, stated:

“Now is the perfect time to expand Busan’s medical tourism hub strategy. While we’ve focused on integrating tourism with medical treatment in the past, we will now also promote medical services as unique tourism content. By combining tourism, exhibitions, and MICE, we aim to solidify Busan as Korea’s top medical tourism destination.”

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📌 Attachments available upon request:

• ●2024 Official Medical Tourism Statistics (by nationality, district, and treatment)

• ●Medical institutions and branding strategies

• ●Marketing case studies (Japan, Taiwan, China)

• ●Photos and promotional materials