A Busan tourism campaign run by digital travel platform Agoda drew first-time visitors to South Korea and the city during its first year of partnership with the local government, according to booking data released on October 26, 2026.

Key Takeaways

  • Agoda said 40% of travelers who booked Busan through the campaign were visiting South Korea for the first time.
  • Searches rose 77% during the April-to-August campaign compared with the 140 days before its launch.
  • Taiwan, Japan and China were the campaign’s top three source markets.

What the Busan tourism campaign showed

Agoda said another 28% of travelers who booked through the campaign had visited South Korea before but were discovering Busan for the first time. The figures describe campaign bookings rather than all visitors to the city.

The platform also recorded a 77% increase in searches during the April-to-August 2026 campaign compared with the 140 days before it began. Agoda and Busan formalized their partnership through a memorandum of understanding in October 2025.

A push for longer stays

Busan welcomed approximately 3.43 million international visitors through August 2026. The city has identified longer stays, higher visitor spending and a more sustainable tourism ecosystem as strategic priorities.

Busan was the first destination partner in Agoda’s Flagship program, which combines the platform’s reach with local tourism assets in an ongoing marketing campaign. Jay Lee, Agoda’s senior director for North Asia, said the partners’ priorities now include encouraging longer visits and expanding what travelers can discover across Busan’s districts.

Tourism summit in Busan

The partnership anniversary coincides with the second Global City Tourism Summit, hosted in Busan from October 26 to 28. Lee is delivering a keynote address on the first day.

The summit brings together cities and tourism industry representatives to discuss cooperation on local and sustainable urban tourism.

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