New tourism initiatives boost Busan's appeal for international travelers

Foreign tourist arrivals in Busan topped 2 million by July as the city capitalized on its reputation as a culinary destination, luring Taiwanese travelers in particular with promotions like dwaeji gukbap served onboard Tigerair Taiwan flights.

Dwaeji gukbap (pork soup over rice) [BUSAN METROPOLITAN CITY]

BUSAN — Foreign tourist arrivals in Busan topped 2 million by July as the city capitalized on its reputation as a culinary destination, luring Taiwanese travelers in particular with promotions like dwaeji gukbap (pork soup over rice) served onboard Tigerair Taiwan flights.

Busan and the Busan Tourism Organization partnered with the carrier in March to launch the in-flight meal, selling 2,166 servings through July. Officials developed the menu after noticing that Taiwanese visitors associated Busan with a “gourmet city” image.

The number of foreign tourists to the city exceeded 2 million in July, just three months after hitting the 1 million mark in April, up 23 percent from 1.62 million from January to July last year. The city expects to reach its goal of 3 million foreign visitors by the end of 2025.

Taiwan accounted for the largest share of visitors with 377,912, followed by China with 315,318, Japan with 266,707, the United States with 145,535 and the Philippines with 99,536. Taiwanese arrivals nearly doubled from 250,000 in 2023.

Officials attribute the growth to Busan’s higher global profile as it campaigned to host Expo 2030, as well as tailored programs such as the dwaeji gukbap promotion.

Taiwanese travelers also expressed strong preferences for Busan food. In a survey of 15,796 visitors by the Busan Tourism Organization, 66.9 percent chose the dwaeji gukbap as their favorite Korean dish, followed by fish cake at 37.4 percent, ssiat-hotteok (fried pancake) made from a yeast dough at 22.4 percent and grilled eel at 19.4 percent.

"The dwaeji gukbap resonates with Taiwanese visitors because of similarities with their own pork-based soups and rice bowls," a tourism planning official said. “The milky broth and sliced pork are seen as nourishing comfort food.”

Visitors from Taiwan have praised the pork soup over rice on social media.

“Perfect comfort food on a cold rainy day,” one traveler wrote.

Another said, “When eaten with salted shrimp and chili flakes, it warms the body.” Others added, “When you go to Busan, you must eat dwaeji gukbap.”

Many described it as their “soul food.”

The city also introduced other tourism products to build momentum. New programs include “temple trekking,” which combines hiking and temple visits, and “Starry Sea Busan Night Festa,” which highlights the city’s night views.

Foreign tourists visit Jagalchi Market in Busan on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]

Seven beaches, including Haeundae and Gwangalli, along with coastal trails like Igidae, added to the city’s summer appeal.

The Visit Busan Pass, which integrates discounts for transportation and attractions, has proven particularly popular. Sales reached 480,000 in the first half of the year.

"I expect annual foreign arrivals to exceed 3 million given upcoming international events, including the Busan International Film Festival," Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon said. “We will continue developing new programs to attract travelers not only from Taiwan but from other countries as well.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY WE SUNG-WOOK [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]