Busan revives as a global tourist magnet

3,000 people were riding their bicycles across the Gwangandaegyo Bridge on Sept. 21, 2025. Yonhap

SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city after Seoul, is enjoying a tourism revival as its beach-rich coastline draws a record number of foreign visitors and the city rolls out a packed calendar of international events to sustain the momentum.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization and Busan metropolitan, 3,349,219 foreign tourists visited Busan in the first 11 months of 2025, surpassing the 3-million mark for the first time. Foreign visitors spent a combined 962.8 billion won (663 million) through non-Korean credit cards, the largest amount recorded outside Seoul.

Events power the rebound

A fully booked events calendar has played a decisive role in drawing overseas visitors. One highlight—featured by CNN—was the sight of more than 3,000 cyclists riding across the Gwangandaegyo Bridge in 2025.

The “Seven Bridge Tour,” held for the first time in September, challenged participants to cross seven ocean bridges, including Gwangandaegyo, Busanhangdaegyo and Eulsukdodaegyo. Early-bird tickets sold out in one minute, while general sales were gone in five. Sixty percent of participants came from outside Busan, and domestic visitors on the event day reached 53,418—up 21.9 percent from the previous year.

Tourism spending tied to the event rose by 36 billion won, a 12.3 percent increase year on year. Images of thousands of bicycles racing across Gwangandaegyo were broadcast to 50 countries worldwide by CNN.

Another driver was “Festival October,” a mega-festival combining 26 events, including the Busan International Film Festival and the Busan International Rock Festival. During its run from September 21 to 30, the number of foreign visitors rose 25 percent from the previous year.

Global conferences add lift

Major international conferences have also boosted arrivals and spending. In 2025, Busan hosted 62 large-scale global events, including the fifth Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee meeting on the United Nations Plastics Treaty, which drew about 4,000 participants from 170 countries, and the Our Ocean Conference, attended by roughly 2,300 delegates from more than 100 countries.

Looking ahead, the city is scheduled to host several high-profile events in 2026, including the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting.

Busan aims to attract 5 million foreign tourists and generate 1.5 trillion won in tourism spending by 2028. As of September 2025, cumulative sales of the “Visit Busan Pass” reached 600,000, while Festival October drew 930,000 visitors—up 39.6 percent from the previous year.

The Haeundae Light Festival is taking place at Haeundae Beach on Dec. 7, 2025. Yonhap

Lee Jung-sil, president of the Busan Tourism Organization, said the city is focusing on digital transformation to improve the visitor experience. “Through digital transformation, we will provide AI-based hyper-personalized services and continuously inspect systems so that foreign tourists can enjoy traveling in Busan comfortably, including in areas such as information and payment,” Lee said, adding that the goal is to attract 5 million foreign visitors by 2028.

Expanding beyond the coast

Local politicians also see room for further growth. Jung Sung-kook, a lawmaker from the People Power Party representing a Busan constituency, said infrastructure upgrades will broaden the city’s appeal.

“We are promoting the development of Bujeon Station—near the traditional Bujeon Market and Busan Citizens Park—into a multimodal transportation center,” Jung said.

“Once established, it will create a transport environment conducive to attracting more tourists, alongside expanded infrastructure such as department stores, cinemas and hotels.”

He added that Busan’s only zoo is preparing to reopen. “There are no large zoos in Busan, Ulsan or South Gyeongsang Province, so once Busan’s zoo reopens, it will draw more family-unit foreign tourists,” Jung said.

“When people think of Busan, they usually think of the sea,” he added. “Until now, attractions like Gwangalli and Haeundae beaches have been concentrated along the coast. Going forward, Busan’s famous tourist destinations will become geographically broader and more numerous.”
Lee Jung-woo Reporter cannes2030@ajupress.com

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