[부산] 부산 찾는 외국인↑ 전국 비중 첫 20% 돌파 (뉴스투데이 2026.7.21 광주MBC)

(Anchor) The growth of Busan as a tourist city is remarkable. In the first half of this year alone, 2 million people have already visited Busan, and the share of foreign tourists visiting Korea has surpassed 20% for the first time in history. This is reporter Jung Eun-ju from Busan MBC. (Reporter) BIFF Square in Nampo-dong, a representative tourist destination in Busan's old downtown. Most of the tourists visiting this place on a weekday morning are foreigners. Hideko and her family (Japan) "It is my first time in Busan, but it looks great because everyone is full of energy. I am getting old, so I don't know if I will come back, but I hope my young grandchildren can come back to Busan." Merchants are keenly feeling the distinct growth of foreign tourists, particularly the increased diversity of nationalities compared to the past. Merchant at BIFF Square (Are there many foreigners among your customers?) "There are many foreigners, especially Taiwanese and Chinese people, and we are doing our best to serve them well." Last year marked the first time since the opening of the port that the era of 3 million foreign tourists was ushered in, and the upward trend continues. With 1.94 million visitors by May and over 2 million by the end of the first half, If the trend continues, it appears that 4.5 million people will visit Busan this year, far exceeding the target of 4 million. Jeon Sang-hoon / Head of Tourism Marketing, Busan Tourism Organization "The number of tourists is continuously expanding as the trend shows a growth of about 10–20% compared to last year." In particular, last May, Busan's share of the total number of foreign tourists nationwide reached 22.2%, surpassing the 20% mark for the first time in history. The Busan Metropolitan City government, which aims to make tourism a new growth engine for the city, is now setting its sights on an era of 6 million tourists. The designation of Dong-gu in Busan as the nation's first Special Cruise Tourism Zone, amidst the surge in cruise tourism, is also in the same context. * Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo (on the 6th) "We will expand Busan's specialized tourism infrastructure, such as cruises, K-pop, and tourism/leisure, and spread this trend to the old city center and western Busan to make this a city where the flow of global tourists never ceases." Amidst the rising trend of foreign tourists, attention is focused on whether Busan can leap forward as a global tourism city through cruises, K-pop, and tourism in the old city center. This is Jung Eun-ju from MBC News. #Foreigners #Tourists #TourismCity #Busan