Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Wins Agoda “2025 Gold Circle Award” as Outstanding Inbound Tourism Partner

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it was selected as the only city in Korea to receive the “Outstanding Partner for Inbound Tourism” award at the “2025 Gold Circle Award,” hosted by global online travel platform Agoda (OTA), held on the 15th at Grand Walkerhill Seoul.

This award reflects Busan’s higher inbound tourism growth rate compared to other cities in recent years, as well as international recognition of the city’s policies and support for revitalizing tourism.

Agoda noted that, alongside the expansion of inbound travelers from diverse nationalities, demand for travel to Korea continues to grow, with accommodation search volumes increasing by 84 percent year-on-year. It added that Busan Metropolitan City’s proactive tourism policies and support have had a positive impact on strengthening the competitiveness of the lodging industry and expanding visitor attraction.

Agoda selects recipients of the Gold Circle Award each year based on criteria such as customer satisfaction, digital engagement, and market responsiveness, evaluating accommodations worldwide. Now in its 17th year, this year’s awards recognized approximately 3,000 properties out of more than 1.6 million accommodations globally.

In Korea, a total of 215 properties were selected this year, centered around major tourism and business hubs such as Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, with 14 properties in Busan included among the recipients.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City, in collaboration with Agoda, is offering accommodation discounts of up to 15 percent, with a maximum discount of 160,000 won, to approximately 50,000 international tourists visiting Busan from April 6 to July 20. This initiative aims to encourage longer stays, increase per capita spending, and generate ripple effects across the local tourism industry.

From January to February, the number of foreign tourists visiting Busan reached 551,830, representing a 39.7 percent increase compared to 398,141 during the same period last year. In addition, foreign tourists who visited Busan last month spent approximately 95.7 billion won, an 18.1 percent increase from 81.0 billion won during the same period last year, according to Korea tourism statistics.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “Last year, 3.64 million foreign tourists visited Busan, and this year as well, Busan is receiving strong attention from international visitors, with the city ranking among the top three regions in terms of first-quarter growth rate in foreign tourists. Tourism is a policy that transforms local income, jobs, and urban infrastructure together, and we will energize Busan’s tourism so that its outcomes lead to an improved quality of life for citizens.”