Busan is good

“From Cruises and K-pop to Local Alleys” Busan Selected for “2026 Regional Shopping Tourism Infrastructure Development” Project

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has been finally selected for the “2026 Regional Shopping Tourism Infrastructure Development” project, securing KRW 300 million in national funding and launching full-scale efforts to develop itself into a global shopping tourism city. The project is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and organized by the Korea Tourism Organization.

This initiative aims to respond to the trend of increasing foreign tourists—targeting 5 million by 2028—and the anticipated annual arrival of 800,000 cruise passengers, by redirecting consumption demand concentrated in large shopping malls to local commercial districts. The strategy seeks to overcome the current crisis faced by local alley markets by attracting direct spending from global tourists.

Under the vision “Shop with Ease! Enjoy Busan!”, the city plans to leverage the secured KRW 300 million in national funding in conjunction with ongoing regional tourism content projects, the night tourism specialization city initiative, the global gastronomy tourism city project, and wellness and medical tourism programs, thereby driving a comprehensive transformation of the local shopping ecosystem.

To achieve this, Busan will implement strategies such as operating K-pop concert-linked pop-up stores, rebranding the “Busan Super” trademark and establishing it as a hub, improving tailored shopping environments for target groups, and maximizing shopping convenience in key districts such as Gwangbok-ro and Seomyeon.

During major events in June, including “BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan (June 12–13)” and “Busan One Asia Festival (June 27–28),” the city plans to operate customized pop-up stores featuring outstanding local products such as cosmetics, coffee, apparel, and food, thereby encouraging both hospitality and consumption among foreign visitors.

In addition, “Busan Super,” which brings together products from local tourism companies in one place, will be rebranded and developed as a central hub, alongside efforts to discover and promote limited-edition local products.

Furthermore, one traditional market will be selected to offer shopping vouchers linked to nearby tourist attractions, to be sold through online travel agencies (OTAs). To extend the stay of cruise tourists arriving at North Port and Yeongdo Cruise Terminal, the city will expand hands-free delivery services and luggage storage facilities at major shopping hubs such as Seomyeon, providing a comfortable shopping environment free from heavy baggage.

In particular, the city plans to closely integrate this shopping infrastructure project with various initiatives, including the “Starlit Sea Busan Night Market” under the night tourism specialization program, Busan-style K-tourism content distributed through global OTAs, Busan-style wellness convergence tourism, performance tourism such as the “Busan Street Festa,” and gastronomy tourism projects such as “Gourmet Selection.”

By enabling tourists to enjoy unique local content and naturally extend their experience into spending at nearby commercial areas, the city aims to generate the highest level of mutually beneficial synergy across projects.

Busan Metropolitan City and the Korea Tourism Organization will further refine the project through expert consulting and begin implementation in June, preparing for the era of 5 million foreign tourists.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “This selection marks an important turning point in expanding consumption demand concentrated in large shopping malls into our local traditional markets and alley commercial districts.” He added, “By enhancing convenience for foreign tourists through innovations in payment and luggage storage services, and combining these with Busan’s unique strengths in night tourism and gastronomy, we will revitalize the domestic economy and build Busan into a true global tourism hub city.”