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Busan–Almaty Direct Flights to Boost Medical Tourism Exchanges and Foster Mutual Growth

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Mayor Chun Jae-soo, and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency announced the successful conclusion of a Busan medical tourism presentation and business consultation event held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, over two days from September 8 to 9. The event was organized in conjunction with the launch of direct flights between Busan and Almaty to gain an early foothold in the Central Asian medical tourism market.

The visit was undertaken to actively promote Busan’s advanced medical technologies and customized medical services and to strengthen mutual cooperation and shared growth through medical tourism exchanges.

To attract more international patients to Busan for medical tourism, Busan Metropolitan City held a medical tourism presentation and networking event on September 8, followed by business consultations with local buyers on September 9.

The medical tourism presentation held on September 8 was attended by 81 participants, including representatives of the Association of Koreans in Kazakhstan, Koryo Ilbo, the Children’s Foundation, and local agencies that refer international patients overseas. Participants were introduced to Busan’s advanced medical technologies and medical tourism services, and the Busan Economic Promotion Agency and the Association of Koreans in Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding. The event also provided an opportunity to enhance cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of medical tourism.

The business consultation event with local buyers, held on September 9, brought together nine foreign patient attraction organizations from Busan and 23 companies from Kazakhstan’s medical tourism industry. A total of 107 medical tourism business consultations were conducted, resulting in the signing of two memoranda of understanding.

Meanwhile, 21,500 patients from Central Asia visited Korea for medical tourism in 2025, an increase of 12.5 percent from 2024. Kazakhstan, in particular, ranked first in medical spending per international patient in 2024, at KRW 6.078 million per person, drawing attention as a high-value-added medical tourism market.

Na Yoon-bin, Director General of the Tourism and MICE Bureau of Busan Metropolitan City, said, “This visit provided a meaningful opportunity to strengthen cooperation with Kazakhstan, actively promote Busan’s advanced medical technologies to local agencies that refer international patients overseas, and demonstrate our commitment to expanding exchanges and fostering shared growth through Busan medical tourism.”