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Jagalchi Market and Gukje Market emerged as the top destinations for foreign tourists in Busan during the first half of this year, according to the ‘Busan Tourism Industry Trend Analysis Report for the First Half of 2023’ released by the Busan Tourism Organization.
The report revealed a substantial increase in foreign tourist numbers, reaching 565,226 visitors from January to June, marking a 529.7% surge compared to the same period last year.
Although not yet reaching pre-COVID-19 levels, this notable recovery is expected to persist for some time.
In comparison, the first half of 2019 welcomed around 1.32 million foreign visitors and 1.16 million visited during the same period in 2018. The October 2023 figure is particularly noteworthy, with approximately 224,000 foreign tourists, nearing the 250,000 count in 2019, before the pandemic.
The primary source of foreign visitors was the United States, with around 94,000 arrivals, followed by approximately 68,000 from China, 54,000 from Australia, 53,000 from Japan, and 34,000 from Hong Kong.
Jagalchi·Gukje Market in Jung-gu attracted the most foreign visitors, totaling about 77,000. Other popular destinations included Seomyeon in Busan (70,000 visitors), BIFF Square in Nampo-dong (62,000 visitors), Haeundae Beach (60,000 visitors), and Haeundae Market (60,000 visitors).
Preferences in visited regions varied by nationality. Japanese tourists favored Jagalchi and Gukje Market, Seomyeon in Busan, and the BIFF Square area, while American visitors preferred Oryukdo Island, Igidae Galmaetgil, Songjeong Beach, and Dongbaek Island. Taiwanese visitors primarily explored Gamcheon Culture Village, Dalmaji Hill, Osiria, and Haedong Yonggungsa Temple.
The total foreign visitor spending for the first half of the year reached 260.7 billion won, maintaining a consistent monthly range of around 50 billion won. Key sectors contributing to spending were the lodging industry (70.87 billion won), department stores and duty-free shops (63.37 billion won), and discount stores and supermarkets (18.71 billion won).
Seomyeon in Busan emerged as the top spending destination for foreign visitors, with expenditures totaling 37.03 billion won. Other notable spending areas included Haeundae Beach (22.04 billion won) and Centum City (20.29 billion won).
