From January to September 2026, foreign visitors to Busan reached 3,934,876, surpassing last year’s total annual visitors (3,643,439)... A 47.0% increase year-on-year, 2.2 times the national average (21.5%) ◈ Foreigners entering Busan directly (via Gimhae International Airport and Busan Port) hit 2,333,199 (+52.7%)... Direct entry proportion rose to 62.9% in September, up 12.5 percentage points (%p) from the beginning of the year (50.4%), with Busan Port entries recording a monthly high for the year at 96,493 

Foreign credit card spending reached 1.0162 trillion won (+51.9%), making Busan the only city outside Seoul to surpass 1 trillion won... The 1 trillion won threshold, first crossed last December, was surpassed by September this year, with the growth rate in spending outpacing the visitor growth rate (47.0%)

 The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Jeon Jae-soo) announced that the number of foreign tourists visiting Busan from January to September 2026 reached 3,934,876. This figure surpasses last year's (2025) total annual visitors of 3,643,439 in just 9 months, bringing the city within reach of its annual attraction target of 4 million. ○ This represents a 47.0% increase compared to the same period last year (2,676,915), which is 2.2 times the national growth rate (21.5%). Busan’s share among all foreign visitors to Korea also rose to 23.0%, up 4.0 percentage points (%p) from 19.0% in the same period last year. ○ While the U.S. CNN introduced Busan as "Asia’s next great coastal city," drawing global travelers' attention, Airbnb reported a 30% increase in searches for Busan accommodations over the past year. Furthermore, Expedia selected Busan as the only destination in South Korea among its "2027 Destinations of the Year," driving the search growth rate to rank 5th globally, marking continuous acclaim from global travel platforms. ○ As of the end of September, just about 60,000 visitors remained to achieve the 4 million milestone. Considering that the city maintained a monthly average of over 500,000 visitors for the past three consecutive months, with an average of approximately 17,000 daily visitors in September, it is projected that the milestone was reached during the early days of October. Official statistics for October visitors will be released at the end of November.

 The core driver behind the surge in visitors is "direct flights to Busan." As Busan establishes itself as a travel destination rather than a mere transit stop, the number of foreigners entering directly through Gimhae International Airport and Busan Port without passing through other regions reached a record high this year. ○ September entries via Busan Port recorded 96,493 (a 147.8% increase year-on-year, approximately 2.5 times), marking the highest monthly figure of the year, while entries through Gimhae International Airport also reached 218,049 (a 48.1% increase). ○ Cumulative direct entries from January to September stood at 2,333,199, a 52.7% increase compared to the same period last year (1,527,682), outperforming the visitor growth rate (47.0%). The proportion of direct entries also rose from 50.4% in January to 62.9% in September, marking a monthly high for the year and a 5.2 percentage point (%p) increase compared to the same month last year (57.7%). ○ This trend stands out even when compared to the entire non-metropolitan region. Nearly half of all foreigners entering through non-metropolitan airports and ports from January to September arrived via Gimhae International Airport and Busan Port, demonstrating Busan’s position as the hub for non-metropolitan entry.

 Thanks to the diversification of the tourism market, the drop in visitors during the off-season was minimal. Foreign visitors to Busan in September totaled 500,256; despite entering the typically off-season period, the decrease rate compared to the previous month was limited to 1.3%, lower than the national decrease rate (8.2%). ○ September visitors increased by 55.0% compared to the same month last year (322,648), which is approximately 2.6 times the national growth rate (21.1%), with Busan accounting for 24.3% of foreign visitors to Korea. Although the Greater China region (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong) saw a decrease from the previous month, increases in other markets such as Southeast Asia, the United States, and Australia offset most of the decline. ○ Cumulative figures from January to September showed sharp growth in major Western markets, including France with 43,165 visitors (a 106.5% increase), the United States with 324,816 (a 77.2% increase), Australia with 57,089 (a 47.8% increase), and the United Kingdom with 59,384 (a 29.2% increase).

 The surge in visitors also led to an expansion in spending. According to credit card big data from the Korea Tourism Data Lab, foreign credit card spending in Busan from January to September of this year was recorded at 1.0162 trillion won. The 1 trillion won mark, which was first surpassed last December, was exceeded by September this year, making Busan the only city outside Seoul to surpass 1 trillion won. ○ Compared to the same period last year (668.9 billion won), spending increased by 51.9%, outpacing the foreign visitor growth rate (47.0%). In particular, monthly spending exceeded 1.3 trillion won for 5 consecutive months starting from May, and September spending reached 130.9 billion won, a 51.8% increase year-on-year, outperforming the national growth rate (40.6%). ○ Following Seoul (8.8435 trillion won), Busan ranked 2nd nationwide and 1st among non-metropolitan regions, accounting for more than half (51.8%) of total foreign credit card spending in non-metropolitan areas (1.9608 trillion won). By sector, shopping led the way at 47.8%, followed by food and beverage at 22.5%, and medical and wellness at 12.1%.

 Meanwhile, as Gimhae International Airport leads the increase in direct entries as a gateway airport for the southeastern region, the Gimhae Airport sphere (Busan, Ulsan, and Geoje and Tongyeong in Gyeongnam) was selected as a "Regional Airport-Centric Tourism Zone" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in September of this year. Building on this momentum, the city plans to foster a wide-area tourism zone with Busan as the gateway city, ensuring that the movement and spending of foreigners spread to neighboring regions.

 Mayor Jeon Jae-soo stated, "People from around the world are flying directly to Busan without passing through other places, and this increase in visitors is directly translating into expanded spending," adding, "Ahead of the 4-year-old/4 million era, we will concentrate our administrative capabilities on the qualitative growth of tourism so that visitors stay longer and revisit our city."

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]