South Korea’s vibrant port city of Busan is on track to welcome over 5 million international tourists this year, setting a historic milestone in the region's tourism sector.

Following a breakthrough year that saw visitor numbers cross the 3-million threshold for the first time, momentum has accelerated rapidly, pushing the city within striking distance of the 5-million mark just a year later.

According to the Busan Metropolitan Government, 3,934,876 foreign travelers arrived in the coastal metropolis between January and September. This impressive tally already eclipses last year's full-year total of 3,643,439 visitors within just nine months, comfortably outpacing the city's initial annual target of 4 million.

Busan's share of inbound travelers to South Korea has also climbed from 19.0% last year to 23.0% this year, marking a robust 4-percentage-point gain. City officials project that cumulative arrivals will surpass 5 million if current growth trajectories hold steady.

City authorities attribute the boom to a surge in direct arrivals via Gimhae International Airport and Busan Port, paired with a strategic diversification of source markets. Rather than serving simply as a transit hub, Busan has successfully transformed into a standalone destination. This diversification has helped buffer the local tourism economy, generating steady visitor traffic even during traditional off-peak periods.

September data highlighted the ongoing momentum: entries through Busan Port spiked by 147.8% year-on-year to 96,493—a monthly high for the year—while arrivals through Gimhae International Airport grew by 48.1% to 218,049. Overall, September arrivals jumped 55.0% compared to the previous year, reaching 322,648 and significantly outpacing the national growth average of 21.1%.

Western markets played a starring role in the surge from January through September. American tourists led in total volume with 324,816 arrivals (a 77.2% increase), while French visitors posted the highest percentage growth, surging 106.5% to 43,165. Significant increases were also reported from Australia (up 47.8% to 57,089) and the United Kingdom (up 29.2% to 59,384).

The influx of global travelers has provided a powerful boost to local commerce. Foreign credit card spending in Busan reached approximately 1.016 trillion won ($730+ million) during the first nine months of the year, making Busan the only city outside the capital of Seoul to breach the 1-trillion-won mark.

International acclaim has mirrored this economic success. U.S. news network CNN recently spotlighted Busan as one of Asia's premier "next coastal cities," while travel platform Expedia named it among its "2027 Destinations of the Year," making it the only destination in South Korea to make the prestigious global list.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]