Busan is good

Mayor Park Heong-joon: “Strengthening Gastronomic Competitiveness Through Culinary Diversity”… A Platform for Dialogue Toward a New Gastronomy Policy 2.0

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “Busan, Asking the Diversity of Taste!” citizen-engagement Gastronomy Talk Concert today (April 1) at 16:00 at Millak The Market to share the direction of its 2026 gastronomy tourism policy with citizens.

Approximately 200 participants are expected to attend, including Mayor Park Heong-joon, representatives from the food service and travel industries, university students (culinary majors and international students), and related organizations.

The city plans to present its 2026 policy strategy under the vision of “Busan as a global gastronomy tourism city experienced by both citizens and visitors.”

The event will proceed in the following order: a case presentation on the current status and expansion strategies of gastronomy tourism in Korea, a presentation of the “2026 Busan Gastronomy Tourism Policy,” and an interactive talk session (Q&A) with participants.

This event is designed as a participatory policy forum involving the mayor, the food service and tourism industries, and citizens, and is expected to serve as an opportunity to concretize the direction of Busan’s gastronomy tourism based on on-site feedback.

Busan’s tourism sector has recently shown visible growth. In 2025, the city recorded 3.64 million international visitors, achieving an all-time high, representing an increase of approximately 24 percent compared to the previous year. This growth is attributed not only to diverse tourism content such as marine attractions, nightscapes, and festivals, but also to gastronomy as a key factor.

The proportion of “food and gastronomy experiences” as a motivation for visiting Busan among international tourists has been notably high, indicating that Busan is establishing itself as a gastronomy-centered tourism city.

According to analysis by the Busan Institute, the introduction of the Michelin Guide has also led to tangible outcomes, including increased sales at listed establishments and a rise in foreign visitors.

Based on these achievements, Busan Metropolitan City will designate 2026 as the inaugural year for expanding gastronomic tourism and will implement four core strategies: Diversity, Experience & Stay, Industry, and Branding.

Under the Diversity strategy, the city will establish a co-growth structure in gastronomy ranging from high-end dining to local eateries. It will support the strengthening of competitiveness in high-end restaurants while also promoting the branding of local restaurants, advancement of menus, and improvement of digital services, thereby expanding gastronomic competitiveness to alleyway businesses and traditional markets.

Under the Experience & Stay strategy, the city will strengthen gastronomic content that extends beyond dining to experiences and longer stays. It will develop storytelling content reflecting the history and locality of food and link it with experiential programs to build a stay-oriented tourism structure. In addition, it will expand tourism routes by commercial districts through the creation of K-food roads, gastronomy belts, and the operation of year-round gastronomic festivals.

Under the Industry strategy, the city will strengthen the industrial ecosystem by linking gastronomy with related industries such as food ingredients, beverages, tableware, and design. It will support collaboration across upstream and downstream industries, promote the global expansion of local brands, and consider establishing a management system to systematically foster the gastronomy industry.

Under the Branding strategy, the city will develop Busan’s gastronomy into a global brand. It will enhance international recognition and strengthen its status as a global gastronomy city by fostering star chefs, building global gastronomy networks, and expanding entry into international gastronomic evaluation systems.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Busan is a city with a broad gastronomic spectrum ranging from fine dining to alleyway food. Gastronomy has become a key foundation for the growth of Busan’s tourism, as evidenced by the 3.64 million international visitors recorded last year. We will leverage this diversity as a competitive advantage to develop Busan into a stay-oriented gastronomic city where visitors remain and spend, and establish a control tower encompassing the entire gastronomy industry to systematically grow the ecosystem.”