Busan is good

Busan Hosts Briefing for the 1st Global City Tourism Summit for Foreign Embassies and Tourism Boards in Korea

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon), together with the Tourism Promotion Organization for Asia Pacific Cities (TPO), announced that it successfully hosted a briefing session for the 1st Global City Tourism Summit (GCTS) on June 17 at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.

Approximately 40 attendees, including representatives from foreign embassies, international tourism boards, and related organizations, gathered to share the vision and goals of the inaugural summit, which will be held this October in Busan. The event aimed to establish strong collaborative networks with key cities and institutional partners.

Attendees included ambassadors and officials from 19 embassies, including Kazakhstan, Denmark, and Panama, as well as representatives from 5 international tourism boards and 2 related institutions.

Participants reached a consensus on the importance of inter-city cooperation to revitalize the regional tourism industry and expressed their shared commitment to supporting the summit and participating in tourism dialogue and promotion activities.

The briefing session covered:

• ●Background and direction of the Global City Tourism Summit

• ●Recommendation and invitation plans for participating cities

• ●Overview of B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) exchange programs

• ●Cooperation strategies with foreign embassies and tourism boards in Korea

In particular, a proposal to host special embassy sessions for national tourism promotion and policy sharing received very positive feedback.

This year’s inaugural summit will be held over three days from October 27 to 29 in various locations throughout Busan.

The event will bring together global tourism policymakers and high-level representatives from relevant agencies. It aims to evolve into a comprehensive platform that promotes global tourism policy development, business networking, and inter-city exchange, with plans to make the summit a recurring annual event.

Additionally, the summit will be held in conjunction with the 2nd Busan Global City Week, creating a synergistic effect to broaden the scope of urban diplomacy and promote the diversity of tourism content.

Kang Da-eun, Secretary General of TPO, stated:

“Good tourism builds good cities. TPO will continue to serve as a platform where cities can share wisdom and work together in harmony with their local communities. I hope this summit goes beyond a mere conference and becomes a true stage for urban tourism diplomacy.”

Kim Hyun-jae, Director General of the Busan Tourism MICE Bureau, remarked:

“Busan is growing as a global tourism hub where the ocean, culture, and industry converge. Starting with this briefing session, we plan to continuously expand domestic and global networks to ensure the successful hosting of the Global City Tourism Summit and build practical avenues for international tourism exchange.”