Busan is good

Busan Welcomes 2.92 Million Foreign Visitors… 3 Million Mark Reached Two Months Earlier Than Last Year

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, announced that 2,927,674 foreign tourists visited Busan from January through July 2026, reaching 73.2% of the city’s annual target of 4 million visitors.

The figure represents a 46.1% increase from 2,003,466 during the same period last year, exceeding the nationwide growth rate of 21.3% over the same period by 24.8 percentage points.

In July alone, 507,045 foreign visitors came to Busan, surpassing the previous record of 484,057 set just one month earlier in June and setting a new monthly high for the second consecutive month. Busan also accounted for 24.2% of all foreign visitors to Korea in July, meaning that one in four visited the city.

Busan is considered certain to have surpassed the 3 million mark in August. As of the end of July, approximately 72,000 additional visitors were needed to reach 3 million. Given that recent monthly visitor numbers have ranged between 400,000 and 500,000, the city estimates that the milestone was reached in early August. Official visitor figures for August are scheduled to be compiled at the end of this month.

Last year marked the first time the annual number of foreign visitors to Busan exceeded 3 million, with the milestone reached in October. This year, Busan is expected to have reached the mark about two months earlier.

By country and region, the largest numbers of visitors to Busan in July came from Taiwan at 128,000, China at 125,000, Japan at 49,000, and the United States at 40,000.

Visitors from Taiwan increased 88.3% year-on-year and accounted for the largest share of July visitors at 25.2%. China followed with a year-on-year increase of 80.3% and a 24.7% share. Together, the two markets accounted for 49.9% of all visitors. On a cumulative basis from January through July, Taiwan ranked first with 605,000 visitors, up 60.1%, followed by China with 594,000, up 88.4%, and Japan with 340,000, up 27.5%.

In addition to strong growth in nearby markets, the United States also recorded notable gains. A total of 259,675 U.S. visitors came to Busan from January through July, up 78.4% from 145,535 during the same period last year, placing the United States fourth. This growth rate was more than six times the nationwide increase of 11.6% in U.S. visitors to Korea, demonstrating that Busan is being chosen as a destination in its own right in long-haul markets despite the absence of direct air routes to the Americas.

Behind this growth is Gimhae International Airport, which has established itself as a key gateway for tourism to Busan and the southeastern region.

According to Issue No. 2 of the “These Days, Korea Tourism Report” published by the Korea Tourism Organization, 1,014,341 foreign nationals entered Korea through Gimhae International Airport in the first half of this year, up 46.6% from 691,993 during the same period last year. This was the highest volume among the four regional airports of Cheongju, Daegu, Gimhae, and Jeju.

Of particular note is where these travelers went after arriving. Of the foreign nationals entering through Gimhae International Airport, 50.2% stayed in Busan, while 47.9% traveled to nearby areas such as Gyeongsangnam-do and Ulsan. Only 1.9% continued on to the Seoul metropolitan area, the lowest proportion among the four regional airports. In other words, 98.1% of arrivals remained within the southeastern region.

The increase in foreign tourists is also translating into higher spending. From January through July, foreign visitors’ card spending in Busan totaled KRW 742.3 billion, up 50.8% year-on-year, ranking second nationwide after Seoul at KRW 6.7486 trillion.

During the same period, Busan and Jeju, where foreign visitor spending totaled KRW 343.8 billion, together accounted for 75.2% of foreign visitor spending outside the Seoul metropolitan area. Medical tourism spending in Busan rose particularly sharply, increasing 118.4%. Busan ranked first among all regions outside Seoul, accounting for 37.0% of medical tourism spending nationwide excluding Seoul.

Figures are based on Issue No. 2 of the “These Days, Korea Tourism Report” and Korea Tourism Data Lab credit card big data.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to continue this growth momentum in the second half of the year through a series of major events and improvements to tourism services and infrastructure.

Following the 2026 Busan Global City Week from September 8 to 10, Festival Shiwol will be held across Busan for the entire month of October, from October 1 to 31. It will be followed by a series of events including the Busan International Rock Festival from October 2 to 4, Busan UN Week from October 23 to November 11, and the Global City Tourism Summit from October 26 to 28.

In addition, Visit Busan Pass kiosks will be installed at Gimhae International Airport and Busan Station, while Busan Metropolitan City will work with all 16 districts and counties to improve visitor information systems at major tourist attractions and enhance convenience for travelers.

Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, “Last year, we did not reach the 3 million mark until October, but this year we are already on the verge of reaching it after just seven months. What matters now is not simply how many people come, but how long they stay and how deeply they experience Busan.”

He added, “The fact that 98% of foreign nationals entering through Gimhae International Airport remain in Busan and the southeastern region rather than traveling on to the Seoul metropolitan area demonstrates this potential. Rather than resting on quantitative growth, we will focus the city’s efforts on qualitative growth by extending visitors’ length of stay and spreading tourism spending more broadly throughout the region.”