Busan on pace to hit 3 mil. foreign visitors 2 months earlier than last year

Busan drew 2.93 million foreign tourists from January through July, reaching 73.2 percent of its annual target of 4 million visitors. The city said that pace puts it on track to surpass 3 million foreign visitors in August, about two months earlier than last year. July set a new monthly high with 507,045 foreign visitors, and Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo said the city will focus on longer stays and broader tourism spending.

Busan’s 2.93 million foreign visitors through July were up 46.1 percent from the same period last year.

The July total of 507,045 foreign visitors broke June’s record of 484,057 and marked a second straight monthly high.

Taiwan and China were Busan’s top visitor markets in July, with about 128,000 and 125,000 visitors respectively.

Cumulative visitors from the United States reached 259,675 through July, up 78.4 percent year on year, making it Busan’s fourth-largest source market.

Foreign credit card spending in Busan reached 742.3 billion won from January to July, while medical tourism spending rose 118.4 percent.

Published Sep 4, 2026 1:25 pm KST

Visitors and tourists line up to enter the Korea Pavilion, set up to mark the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee session, at the outdoor plaza of BEXCO Exhibition Center 1 in Haeundae District, Busan, July 26. Yonhap

Busan drew 2.93 million foreign tourists from January through July, reaching 73.2 percent of its annual target of 4 million visitors, the city said. The figure marks a 46.1 percent increase from the same period last year, far outpacing Korea's overall 21.3 percent growth rate in foreign arrivals.

July alone brought 507,045 foreign visitors to the southeastern port city, breaking June's record of 484,057 and marking a second consecutive monthly high. Busan accounted for 24.2 percent of all foreign arrivals to Korea that month, meaning roughly one in four visitors to the country came to Busan.

The city expects to surpass 3 million foreign visitors for the year sometime in August, about two months earlier than last year, when it first crossed that threshold in October.

Taiwan and China were Busan's top visitor markets in July, with about 128,000 and 125,000 visitors respectively, together accounting for nearly half of the month's arrivals. Cumulative visitors from the United States reached 259,675 through July, up 78.4 percent from a year earlier — more than six times the national growth rate for American visitors — making it Busan's fourth-largest source market.

Gimhae International Airport, Busan's main gateway, saw arrivals rise 46.6 percent to just over 1 million in the first half of the year, the largest increase among Korea's four regional international airports, according to a Korea Tourism Organization report.

Of those arriving through Gimhae, 50.2 percent stayed in Busan and 47.9 percent traveled to nearby South Gyeongsang Province or Ulsan, while just 1.9 percent continued on to the Seoul metropolitan area — the lowest such rate among the four airports.

Foreign credit card spending in Busan reached 742.3 billion won ($501 million) from January to July, up 50.8 percent and the second-highest among Korean regions after Seoul. Medical tourism spending rose 118.4 percent, giving Busan the largest share of medical tourism spending outside Seoul.

The city plans several major events this fall, including Busan Global City Week, Sept. 8-10, and a monthlong Festival October featuring the Busan International Rock Festival and other events.

"What matters now isn't how many people came, but how long they stay and how deeply they experience the city," Busan Mayor Chun Jae-soo said, adding that the city will focus on extending visitor stays and spreading tourism spending across the region.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.

今年1月至7月，釜山共接待外国游客293万人次，达到全年400万人次目标的73.2%。釜山表示，按照目前的增长速度，有望在8月份突破300万外国游客大关，比去年提前约两个月。7月份外国游客数量创下月度新高，达到507,045人次。釜山市长全在洙表示，未来釜山将致力于延长游客停留时间，并扩大旅游消费范围。

截至7月，釜山接待外国游客293万人次，比去年同期增长46.1%。

7 月份外国游客总数达到 507,045 人次，打破了 6 月份 484,057 人的纪录，连续第二个月创下新高。

7 月份，台湾和中国大陆是釜山最大的游客来源地，分别接待了约 12.8 万和 12.5 万名游客。

截至7月，来自美国的游客累计达到259,675人次，同比增长78.4%，成为釜山第四大客源市场。

今年1月至7月，外国信用卡在釜山的消费额达到7423亿韩元，而医疗旅游消费额增长了118.4%。

发布于2026年9月4日下午1:25（韩国标准时间）

7月26日，游客们在釜山海云台BEXCO展览中心1号馆的户外广场排队进入韩国馆，该展馆是为纪念联合国教科文组织世界遗产委员会第48届会议而设立的。（韩联社）

釜山市政府表示，今年1月至7月，该市接待外国游客293万人次，达到全年400万人次目标的73.2%。这一数字比去年同期增长46.1%，远超韩国整体21.3%的外国游客增长率。

仅7月份，釜山就接待了507,045名外国游客，打破了6月份484,057人的纪录，并连续第二个月创下新高。釜山游客占当月韩国外国游客总数的24.2%，这意味着大约四分之一的韩国游客都曾到访釜山。

该市预计将在 8 月份的某个时候突破 300 万外国游客大关，比去年提前了大约两个月，去年该市是在 10 月份才首次突破这一大关。

7月份，台湾和中国大陆是釜山最大的游客来源国，分别接待了约12.8万和12.5万名游客，合计占当月游客总数的近一半。截至7月底，来自美国的游客累计达到259,675人次，同比增长78.4%，是美国游客全国平均增长率的六倍多，使其成为釜山第四大客源国。

据韩国旅游发展局报告显示，釜山的主要门户金海国际机场今年上半年入境旅客人数增长了 46.6%，超过 100 万人次，是韩国四个地区性国际机场中增幅最大的机场。

在经金海机场抵达的旅客中，50.2% 留在釜山，47.9% 前往附近的庆尚南道或蔚山，而只有 1.9% 继续前往首尔都市圈——这是四个机场中最低的比例。

今年1月至7月，釜山的外国信用卡消费额达到7423亿韩元（约合5.01亿美元），同比增长50.8%，在韩国各地区中仅次于首尔，位居第二。医疗旅游消费额增长118.4%，使釜山成为除首尔以外医疗旅游消费额最高的城市。

今年秋季，釜山市计划举办几项重大活动，包括 9 月 8 日至 10 日举行的釜山全球城市周，以及为期一个月的十月节，届时将举办釜山国际摇滚音乐节和其他活动。

釜山市长全在洙表示：“现在重要的不是来了多少人，而是他们停留多久，以及他们对这座城市的体验有多深入。”他还补充说，釜山将致力于延长游客的停留时间，并将旅游消费分散到整个地区。

本文由生成式人工智能协助发布，并由《韩国时报》编辑。