BUSAN AIMS TO ATTRACT 3.5 MILLION TOURISTS NEXT YEAR

By Nur Syuhada Yusof

BUSAN (South Korea), Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Busan Tourism Organisation (BTO) is targeting 3.5 million foreign tourist arrivals to the port city in 2026 through the implementation of various promotional campaigns and offering of tourism products to cement its position as a global travel destination.

BTO President Lee Jeong-Sil said around three million foreign tourists have visited Busan thus far this year compared to 2.93 million arrivals recorded in 2024.

He said the main markets for foreign tourist arrivals to Busan include China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, North America, and Europe.

"The effectiveness of promotional strategies, development of tourism products, and investments by BTO will continue to establish Busan as a global travel destination,” he told Bernama.

Lee said China, Japan, and Taiwan remain as the three main target markets for next year following consistent growths in number of visitors from those countries, along with the existence of direct flights to Busan.

Lee earlier attended the 5th Busan International Travel Mart held from Nov 23 to 26 at Arte Museum, Busan. 

Some 170 representatives of international travel agencies from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam gathered at the tourism expo, along with 100 representatives from domestic tourism industry including hotels and tourism attraction operators.

In another development, Lee said BTO is also committed to developing corporate facilities for the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector to cement Busan’s position as a global corporate destination.

He said Muslim-friendly travel, cultural experiences, and the development of tourism areas in city centres and outskirts are also being given priority to ensure a balanced growth.

-- BERNAMA