South Korea foreign tourist visits and spending surge in Busan, Seoul

In May, Busan’s Haeundae district recorded 637,919 foreign visitors, more than double the 272,057 visitors in the same month of 2023. Card‑based tourism spending rose 44.2% year‑on‑year to 34.97 billion KRW, 2.5 times the January level. The largest visitor groups were from Taiwan (31.3%) and China (21.2%). Spending was led by food and beverage (36.2%), followed by shopping (24.8%) and accommodation (19.9%).

A separate analysis by Seoul’s AI Foundation showed foreign foot traffic extending to mountain attractions. Daily average foreign visitors topped Myeong‑dong (109,100) and N Seoul Tower (57,370). Mountain sites such as Bukhansan attracted 4,015 foreigners, with increases of up to 12.1% at locations like Dongdaemun Design Plaza. Visitors from Vietnam, the Philippines and Singapore favored historic sites, while Japanese and Chinese tourists concentrated on shopping districts.