Busan foreign tourist arrivals jump 40% to 1.9 million, outpacing city population

South Korea’s Busan recorded 1,936,572 foreign visitors between January and May, a rise of about 40% over the same period last year and already exceeding the city’s resident population. The surge puts the city at 48.4% of its annual target of four million overseas tourists.

Taiwan led the visitor count with 375,322 arrivals, followed by China (359,981), Japan (233,685), and the United States (175,587). Cruise‑terminal operations, overnight‑cruise services and intensified promotion on global travel platforms have been credited for the growth. Foreign‑tourist spending reached 4,544 billion won, up 56% from the previous year, making Busan the second‑highest domestic market after Seoul.

The municipal government plans to further boost inbound tourism through expanded cruise programs, the “Visit Busan Pass”, amphibious tour buses and integrated air‑rail‑sea packages, aiming to sustain the upward trend through the second half of the year.