Foreign tourists film a drone show at Gwangalli Beach in Busan on June 27.YONHAP
Foreign tourists are catching what social media users have dubbed “Busan sickness” — an irresistible urge to return to the southern port city — and retailers are racing to capitalize as soaring visitor numbers fuel a surge in shopping, dining and other spending.
“I miss Busan so much,” one online user posted. Another user wrote in Chinese, “It only takes a moment to catch ‘Busan sickness.’”
“I want to go to Busan again!” a post read in Japanese.
Posts like these in English, Chinese and Japanese have recently popped up on social media, with tourists who have visited the southern port city complaining that they can’t get the city out of their minds.
As more foreign tourists flock to Busan, their spending on shopping, food and other activities is also surging. Retailers are now racing to establish a stronger foothold in the city, as they roll out stores and services aimed at foreign customers.
Some 2.92 million foreign tourists visited Busan from January through July this year, up 46.1 percent from the same period last year, according to the retail industry and the Busan city government on Wednesday. Taiwan accounted for the largest number of visitors, followed by China, Japan and the United States.
Foreign visitors also spent 742.3 billion won ($548 million) on cards in Busan during the period, up 50.8 percent on year.
The surge is already showing up in sales at major retailers across the city.
Foreign tourists visit Lotte Premium Outlets Dongbusan in Busan.LOTTE DEPARTMENT STORE
Foreign customer sales at Lotte Department Store’s Busan main branch and Lotte Premium Outlets’ Dongbusan branch skyrocketed 150 percent and 180 percent, respectively, from Jan. 1 through Monday compared to the same period last year.
Foreign customer sales at Shinsegae Department Store’s Centum City branch rose 126 percent on year from January through August. Foreigners accounted for 8.7 percent of the branch’s total sales, higher than the 7.7 percent average across all Shinsegae Department Store branches.
The spending boom has also extended to K-fashion and beauty.
Foreign customer sales at fashion brand Musinsa Standard’s Busan Seomyeon store rose 97 percent from Jan. 1 through Monday, with foreign shoppers accounting for 30 percent of total sales.
Foreign customer sales at CJ Olive Young stores in Busan also climbed 84 percent from January through August. Their share of total sales at the retailer’s Busan stores has risen from 32 percent last year to 45 percent recently.
One factor drawing foreign visitors to Busan is the proximity of major tourist attractions, including its beaches, to popular shopping districts, which allows visitors to sightsee and shop in the same area.
The growing number of repeat visitors to Korea is also driving foreign tourism beyond Seoul and into cities such as Busan. The return-visit rate among foreign tourists to Korea reached 56.6 percent last year, according to the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.
People watch a shark swim in a waterway in Busan's North Port Waterfront Park on Sept. 29.YONHAP
More recently, Busan has also enjoyed an unexpected tourism boost from Bukangi, a shark that appeared in a canal at the North Port Waterfront Park in Dong District on Sept. 18. The name combines a phonetic rendering of Bukhang, the Korean word for North Port, with the suffix “-i,” commonly added to names as a sign of affection.
Tourists poured into the area after the shark appeared, which gave nearby stores a sudden lift. More than 600,000 people visited the waterfront park from Sept. 19 through Monday, according to the Busan Infrastructure Corporation.
Sales at a nearby CU convenience store jumped 48.6 percent during the first weekend after Bukangi’s appearance, Sept. 19 and 20, compared to the previous weekend. Sales also surged at an Ediya Coffee shop directly in front of the canal.
Bukangi’s popularity illustrates how Busan’s tourism boom is spilling beyond individual attractions into surrounding commercial districts.
“We see Busan as a new key market where tourism spending is becoming concentrated, and we are investing heavily in store expansion and marketing,” a retail industry representative said.
Hyundai Department Store is set to open a shopping complex, The Hyundai Busan, in Eco Delta Smart City in Gangseo District next year. With foreign tourists among its target customers, the company will devote half of the complex to experiential spaces.
People enjoy time by the ocean at Haeundae Beach in Busan on Sept. 14.YONHAP
Olive Young opened a large 2,970-square-meter (32,000-square-foot) store in Nampo-dong in August and introduced a skin analysis service popular with foreign customers.
Existing stores are also expanding content and services geared toward overseas visitors.
Shinsegae Department Store is holding a “Global Shopping Festa” through Oct. 11 at Centum City, which features 120 brands popular among foreign shoppers. Lotte Department Store’s Busan main branch has been actively bringing in K-content pop-up stores, while fashion platform store Musinsa offers multilingual announcements and luggage storage at its Seomyeon store.
“As tourist numbers rise, Korea is beginning to see the same phenomenon found in countries such as France and Japan, where tourism demand once concentrated in the capital spreads to other regions, with Busan’s own attractions making its popularity particularly notable,” said Lee Jong-woo, a professor of retail marketing at Namseoul University.
“Foreign tourists these days want to live and spend like Koreans while they are here, so actively developing stores and content tailored to that trend can be effective.”
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.
