Busan is good

A Gourmet Map Comes to Busan’s Key Tourist Destinations… “2026 Busan Gourmet Guide” to Be Distributed Citywide

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that, beginning today (July 9), it will officially distribute the “2026 Busan Gourmet Guide,” a comprehensive guide featuring the city’s signature restaurants, at major tourism hubs including tourist information centers and consulates.

The “2026 Busan Gourmet Guide” was created to help international visitors and other travelers easily discover Busan’s renowned restaurants and plan culinary travel routes throughout the city. It is expected to serve as an essential companion for visitors seeking to experience Busan’s food culture.

According to the 2025 Busan Visitor Survey, the leading reason for visiting Busan was food and restaurant experiences (68.8%), demonstrating the growing demand for culinary tourism. In response, Busan Metropolitan City developed the guide to transform the city’s rich culinary resources into a key tourism asset.

In June, during the “BTS World Tour ARIRANG in Busan” concerts (June 12–13), the city conducted an advance distribution of 2,000 English-language copies and 200 Korean-language copies at the Welcome Center and public accommodations. Following today's official launch, the guide will be made permanently available at major tourism locations throughout the year.

The guide divides Busan into six regions:
① Geumjeong, Dongnae, and Yeonje
② Haeundae and Gijang
③ Busanjin, Dong, and Yeongdo
④ Suyeong and Nam
⑤ Gangseo, Buk, and Sasang
⑥ Saha, Seo, and Jung

Each regional edition is provided as a set and includes a foldout map attached to the back cover for convenient use while traveling.

The guide features restaurants selected by city-supported culinary guide programs, including the Michelin Guide (2026), Busan’s Taste (2026), and Taeksullang (2025). Each listing includes the restaurant name, signature menu, address, contact information, and a brief introduction highlighting its distinctive characteristics.

The front side of the map is based on the Busan subway network and marks restaurant locations by region using icons and reference numbers, allowing visitors to identify locations at a glance and find detailed information in the guide. The reverse side provides a blank numbered map so visitors can mark the restaurants they have visited and create their own personalized culinary travel itinerary.

By scanning the QR codes in the guide, users can instantly access the Visit Busan tourism portal (visitbusan.net), Naver Map, and Google Maps for mobile navigation. The guide is also available online through the Busan Metropolitan City website (News > e-Books) and the Visit Busan website (Travel Information > Guidebooks & Maps).

The guide is produced in four languages—Korean, English, Japanese, and Chinese. Korean and English editions are being distributed first. Japanese- and Chinese-language editions will initially be available online only and will be distributed in print after additional production.

Distribution will initially focus on major tourism hubs with frequent international visitor traffic, including tourist information centers and consulates. The city plans to gradually expand distribution to hotels, major bookstores, and key locations in the Seoul metropolitan area.

Meanwhile, Busan Metropolitan City will launch a variety of additional programs in the second half of the year to further strengthen the city’s culinary tourism ecosystem.

The “Busan Gourmet Selection,” which featured 26 restaurants during the first half of the year (June), will expand in October to include bakeries, cafés, and other food-related businesses. The city also plans to hold festivals showcasing Busan’s signature local dishes, including Dwaeji Gukbap.

Culinary familiarization tours will be organized for domestic and international chefs, media representatives, and other food industry professionals, while an international gourmet forum will explore future directions for Busan’s culinary tourism industry.

In addition, Busan Metropolitan City will gradually introduce various promotional campaigns combining online events with offline marketing to further promote culinary tourism.

Na Yoon-bin, Director General of the Tourism and MICE Bureau at Busan Metropolitan City, said, “Since exploring local restaurants is the primary reason international visitors come to Busan, we expect this guide to serve as their first companion for discovering the city. Beginning with the distribution of this guide, we will continue to introduce a wide range of culinary tourism programs throughout the second half of the year—including the Gourmet Selection program, gourmet familiarization tours, and the Global Gourmet Forum—to establish Busan as a culinary tourism destination where everyone can enjoy the city's diverse flavors, from fine dining to beloved neighborhood eateries.”