Busan welcomed more than 2.42 million foreign visitors between January and June – a 43.9 per cent jump compared to the same period last year
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenThe Korea TimesPublished: 8:52am, 1 Aug 2026Driven by a surge in visitors from across Asia and a blockbuster June stadium concert by K-pop juggernaut BTS, international tourism in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan shattered post-pandemic records during the first half of this year.Busan welcomed more than 2.42 million foreign visitors between January and June – a 43.9 per cent jump compared to the same period last year, according to municipal data released on Thursday.
The strong turnout puts the coastal metropolis well on track to hit its ambitious target of 4 million foreign tourists by year’s end, having already achieved over 60 per cent of that goal in six months.
Leading the influx were travellers from Taiwan and mainland China, who accounted for nearly 40 per cent of total arrivals. Taiwanese arrivals surged 54 per cent year-on-year to rank first overall, while those from the mainland nearly doubled, surging 90.7 per cent.
US tourist numbers grew by 76.4 per cent, with European markets like France and Britain also posting substantial gains.
The surge in foot traffic translated into a massive windfall for the local economy.
