Lin, a 26-year-old from Taiwan who visited Korea in May, hurriedly revised the travel plan after arriving. After seeing information about Busan on social media (SNS), the person added the city to the itinerary.
Lin entered through Incheon International Airport and stayed in Seoul, then took the KTX to and from Busan. Lin said, "During a weeklong stay in Korea, Busan was the most memorable," adding, "I'm considering going back to Korea for a trip to Busan."
Busan is growing in popularity among foreign tourists visiting Korea. In particular, among Chinese-speaking travelers, a new word has emerged after "Seoul sickness": "Busan sickness." Busan sickness refers to the aftereffects of a trip in which travelers cannot forget Busan's scenery and mood even after returning home.
◇ In the first half of this year, 4 out of 10 foreign visitors to Busan were from the Chinese-speaking world
According to the Korea Tourism Organization, 2,420,629 foreigners visited Busan in the first half of this year (January–June). That was up 43.9% (738,214 people) from the same period a year earlier. By nationality, Taiwan led with 477,606, followed by China with 468,876, Japan with 291,141, and the United States with 219,147.
The growth rate of Chinese-speaking foreign tourists visiting Busan stands out. Based on data in which the Korea Tourism Organization estimated the residence of foreigners who visited Busan using mobile carrier data, in the first half of this year Taiwan accounted for 22%, China 18%, and Hong Kong 3.8%, putting the Chinese-speaking world at 43.8%. That was up more than 10 percentage points in three years from 30.2% in the first half of 2023.
The increase in Chinese-speaking foreign tourists cannot be explained by the "BTS World Tour Arirang IN Busan" concert alone. Busan travel content on SNS has been steadily increasing. On China's Xiaohongshu, posts with the hashtag (#) "Busan (釜山)" totaled 2.55 million, with cumulative views reaching 550 million.
Posts related to "Busan sickness (釜山病)" have also been viewed more than 6,000 times. They mainly share attractions and travel reviews. Haeundae, Gwangalli, and Gamcheon Culture Village were frequently mentioned.
◇ Popular for its easy access … benefits also from China-Japan tensions
Those who previously visited Busan also reported high satisfaction. Yanolja Research analyzed about 10,000 Chinese-language travel posts on Xiaohongshu and some 18,600 reviews on the Chinese travel platform Ctrip, finding Busan scored 4.723 out of 5 in satisfaction. It beat Tokyo, Japan, and Singapore to rank No. 1 overall among eight Asian cities.
Transportation convenience is also steadily improving. Direct routes between China and Gimhae International Airport have expanded, including ▲ Nanjing (China Eastern Airlines), ▲ Hangzhou (Loong Air), and ▲ Guangzhou (China Southern Airlines).
Some also analyze that Busan benefited in part from the deteriorating relationship between China and Japan. In November last year, after Sanae Takaichi, Japan's prime minister, suggested Japan might intervene in the event of a Taiwan contingency, the Chinese government issued an advisory to refrain from travel to Japan.
According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of Chinese tourists who visited Japan from January to May this year fell by more than half compared with ordinary years. A travel industry official said, "Chinese tourists are discovering new attractions beyond the usual favorites of Seoul and Jeju Island."
◇ Experts say "the task is to keep developing tourism content"
Foreign tourists are also spending more during trips to Busan. According to Busan City, foreign tourists spent an average of 98.6 billion won per month in the first half of this year (total tourism consumption). That was up 63.2% (60.4 billion won) from the same period last year.
However, experts say Busan needs to keep developing tourism products that leverage local characteristics to sustain demand. Breaking down foreign expenditure in Busan by industry, shopping accounted for 49.9% and food and beverage for 21.7%, making up most of the total.
An analysis by the Korea Maritime Institute (KMI) of foreign credit card sales data also found that accommodations and retail/distribution spending accounted for 84.6% of "marine tourism consumption." In other words, spending has not expanded into experience-based activities such as marine leisure.
Lee Hoon, head of the Hanyang University Tourism Research Institute, said, "Busan has a favorable location in that you can enjoy mountains and the sea in 'one stop,'" adding, "From the perspective of building a regional tourism brand, there is a need to continuously develop and manage tourism content and travel courses."