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Busan Metropolitan City Launches Call for Proposals for “2026 Busan-Style Wellness Convergence Tourism Product Development and Operation Support”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) and the Busan Tourism Organization announced that they will accept applications until April 20 for the “Busan-Style Wellness Convergence Tourism Product Development and Operation Support” program to promote the development of convergence tourism products utilizing Busan’s wellness tourism resources and support their entry into global markets.

Recent travel trends have rapidly shifted from group tourism to individual travelers (FIT), while the global wellness tourism market continues to grow steadily.

In line with this trend, the program is being launched for the first time this year as part of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Southern Regional Tourism Development Project to expand tourism content centered on Busan and advance into the global tourism market.

The “Busan-Style Wellness Convergence Tourism Product Development and Operation Support” program aims to discover differentiated experiential tourism content by linking Busan’s wellness tourism resources with local specialized tourism assets, and to enhance the global recognition of the “Busan wellness and medical tourism” brand by supporting global market entry through global OTA platforms.

• ●OTA (Online Travel Agency): An online intermediary platform that sells airline tickets, accommodations, rental cars, and travel packages

Through this program, Busan Metropolitan City will support the development of experiential tourism products for individual travelers (FIT) utilizing Busan’s wellness tourism destinations and various tourism resources, as well as marketing linked to global OTAs.

Travel agencies registered under the Tourism Promotion Act are eligible to participate, and consortiums consisting of travel agencies and content production companies may also apply.
However, for products linked to medical services, only designated institutions and businesses authorized to attract foreign patients may participate.

Tourism products must include at least one of Busan’s 17 wellness tourism destinations and be composed as experience-oriented products that integrate local specialized tourism resources such as medical services, beauty, gastronomy and traditional markets, marine and nature experiences, and cultural activities.

Approximately five products will be selected, and each selected product will receive up to KRW 25 million to cover development, operation, and promotional expenses.

In particular, selected products will receive marketing support to attract more individual foreign tourists, including participation in special promotional campaigns and advertising through global OTAs such as Creatrip.

Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan Tourism Organization held a project briefing session on April 9 to provide information on the application schedule and online promotions. Following the application and evaluation process, selected products will be developed and promoted through OTA-linked campaigns by October this year.

Detailed information about the program can be found on the Busan Tourism Organization website (www.bto.or.kr) under the “Notices and Events” section. Inquiries can be directed to the Tourism Content Team of the Busan Tourism Organization (☎051-780-4147).

Na Yoon-bin, Director General of the Tourism MICE Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, stated, “This program is expected to elevate Busan’s wellness tourism from ‘sightseeing’ content to differentiated convergence content that offers ‘unique experiential value,’ and to strengthen the global competitiveness of the local tourism industry.” He added, “We will continue to actively support Busan in enhancing its brand value as ‘a city ideal for treatment and healing, a place to pause in life,’ and in advancing as a global hub for wellness and medical tourism.”