BTS concert drives South Korea’s Busan foreign tourist numbers to record high

Source: scmp.com · Published: 2026-08-01

Driven by a surge in visitors from across Asia and a blockbuster June stadium concert by K-pop juggernaut BTS, international tourism in South Korea’s southern port city of Busan shattered post-pandemic records during the first half of this year. Busan welcomed more than 2.42 million foreign visitors between January and June – a 43.9 per cent jump compared to the same period last year, according to municipal data released on Thursday. The strong turnout puts the coastal metropolis well on track...