Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Stabilizes Accommodation Prices Through Public-Private Cooperation, Ready to Welcome Tourists!

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Park Heong-joon, announced that it conducted a public-private tourism readiness campaign yesterday (June 8) in the Seomyeon area of Busanjin-gu in preparation for the “BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan” concerts scheduled for June 12 and 13.

Officials from the city’s Tourism MICE Industry Division and Public Health and Sanitation Division, together with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration, Busanjin-gu Office, Korea Tourism Organization, Busan Tourism Association, Busan Branch of the Korea Lodging Association, and Busan Branch of the Korea Restaurant Association, visited major accommodation and dining establishments frequented by tourists to encourage the elimination of unfair business practices and reinforce tourism readiness.

The campaign focused on encouraging the tourism industry to maintain reasonable pricing, provide friendly service, and improve hygiene standards in preparation for the large number of visitors expected to arrive in Busan. It forms part of a joint effort by the public and private sectors to create a fair tourism environment following controversy over excessive price increases at some accommodation facilities.

In this regard, Busan Metropolitan City is promoting a “Public Accommodation Project” with participation from religious organizations, universities, and public and private institutions.

The city has secured 26 alternative accommodation facilities capable of accommodating a total of 1,771 guests, including 1,453 paid guests and 318 guests free of charge. In addition, the “Busan Citizen Homestay” program, in which local residents directly participate, received applications from 21 households and matched them with 46 international tourists.

Furthermore, 91 accommodation businesses throughout the city have joined the “Fair Accommodation Challenge,” publicly expressing their commitment to fair pricing and hospitality for visitors. On June 1, the Busan Branch of the Korea Lodging Association and the Busan Tourism Association also held a resolution ceremony calling for stronger self-regulation across the industry.

Despite these voluntary efforts by the market and the city’s ongoing inspections and guidance, Busan Metropolitan City has stated that it will respond firmly to accommodation facilities that undermine confidence in Busan tourism by charging excessive rates or canceling reservations without justifiable reasons.

The city is working closely with relevant agencies, including the National Tax Service, Korea Fair Trade Commission, Korea Consumer Agency, and local fire departments, to address illegal and unfair practices reported through the Tourism Inconvenience Reporting Center and other channels.

In particular, the city is actively cooperating with investigations conducted by the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency into cases where accommodation providers unilaterally cancel reservations and then resell rooms at higher prices. At the same time, it has requested the central government to promptly amend relevant legislation, including the Tourism Promotion Act and the Public Sanitation Control Act, to provide a more fundamental solution.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “As this concert is a global event that will draw the attention of people around the world to Busan, we must strengthen the competitiveness of Busan tourism through fair pricing and friendly service.”

He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to enhance the status of Busan as a global tourism city.”