Foreign media say Busan is emerging as a new tourist destination as the Lotte Tower Busan and the Busan Opera House take shape around the city's North Port. Foreign visitors to Busan totaled 3,434,620 in the January-August period, up 45.9% from a year earlier, according to the Busan Metropolitan Government.
CNN introduced Busan as "Asia's next great coastal city" in a travel story filed from the city on the 23rd. The U.S. broadcaster reported that South Korea's second-largest city has pushed through major changes to establish itself as a destination in its own right rather than a stopover added to other trips. CNN noted that Busan is shifting from a port-centered city to a design-centered one.
CNN did not portray Busan as a smaller version of Seoul. "If Seoul is New York, Busan is Los Angeles," it said, describing the city as younger, more stylish and less stressful. Travel agency Inside Travel Group said 74% of its clients who booked trips to South Korea last year visited Busan.
The Lotte Tower Busan was cited as a flagship example. The building, going up on the site of the former Busan City Hall, sits near Jagalchi Market. Once complete, it will house at least one luxury hotel in addition to shops and offices. Lotte Shopping (023530) broke ground on Aug. 17, 2023, and is building the tower to 67 floors and a height of 342.5 meters. In July 2024, Lotte said it had pushed back its completion target to the end of 2028 from the original 2026.
CNN described the Busan Opera House, designed by Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta, as the city's most eye-catching structure and said it is set to open at the end of 2027. The venue will have a 1,800-seat main theater and a 300-seat studio theater. The Busan Metropolitan Government is preparing for a September 2027 opening.
Snohetta said much of the building will be open around the clock without a ticket. A planned opening production featuring Italy's Teatro alla Scala, however, drew a dispute over whether a performance costing around 10 billion won was appropriate. The city said on July 10 that it would continue discussions after gathering public opinion.
Expedia ranked Busan fifth among its destinations of the year for 2027 in its "Unpack '27" report released this month, citing a 50% jump from a year earlier in searches for flights and accommodations to the city. Airbnb named Busan a rising destination in its 2026 travel trend outlook released on Dec. 18 last year. Airbnb's country manager for South Korea told CNN that 79% of foreign visitors and prospective travelers want to explore outside Seoul, and that Busan is the first place they mention. Searches for Busan lodging on the platform rose 30% over the past year.
On social media across Asia, a new term — "Busan sickness," describing the longing for the city after a visit — is spreading. Foreign tourist arrivals reached 1,023,946 in the first quarter of this year, passing the one-million mark earlier than in any year since the statistics were first compiled in 2014.
Yanolja Research analyzed reviews from Chinese tourists and found Busan scored 4.723 out of 5 for satisfaction, the highest among eight Asian cities. The city said on July 22, 2025, that it had been named World Design Capital for 2028. The title, awarded every two years by the World Design Organization, goes to a South Korean city for the second time after Seoul in 2010.
Challenges remain. According to the Busan Port Authority, land preparation for the first phase of the North Port redevelopment was completed in 2023, but successive public tenders for private investment in the landmark site have failed to draw bidders. Under the city's plan, the second phase will begin in 2028, with infrastructure to be built after 2030. On spending, Na Yun-bin, director general of the city's tourism and MICE bureau, said card payments by foreign visitors account for less than 8% of the national total, adding that Busan needs more lodging capacity and longer stays. Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo laid out a plan to expand tourism areas into the western part of the city.