Busan is shifting its tourism strategy from simple sightseeing to purchasable, experience-based products. The city aims to develop local tourism resources into marketable products and expand distribution through global platforms to strengthen competitiveness in attracting foreign tourists.
Busan Metropolitan City and Busan Tourism Organization announced on the 12th that they will simultaneously pursue the "Busan K-Tourism Content FIT Product Exhibition" and the "Busan Tourism Business Global OTA Entry Coordinating and Consulting Project" to develop products based on local tourism content and expand global distribution networks.
The initiative is part of a specialized promotion project under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Southern Region Wide-Area Tourism Development Plan. Its core objective is to commercialize Busan's diverse tourism resources—including marine activities, gastronomy, beauty, wellness, K-culture, and e-sports—for sale in global markets.
As the tourism market rapidly shifts from group tours to free independent travelers (FIT), transforming local tourism content into purchasable products and establishing distribution structures through global platforms has emerged as a key competitive factor. Through this project, the city plans to build a private sector-led tourism product ecosystem by simultaneously supporting product development and online sales.
The "Busan K-Tourism Content FIT Product Exhibition" will support the development of 20 experience-based tourism products utilizing Busan's tourism resources for sale through global online travel platforms. Registered travel agencies can participate, and applications through consortiums with content production companies are also accepted.
Selected operators will develop themed products utilizing Busan tourism content and register them for sale on global online travel platforms such as Nol and Klook. Various themes are possible, including tourism based on films, dramas, and OTT content, night tourism, temple stays, gastronomy, beauty, fashion, marine leisure, K-culture experiences, e-sports, and traditional market tours. Up to 20 million won per product will be provided for development and promotion costs.
Support will also be provided for local tourism businesses to enter global distribution networks. The "Busan Tourism Business Global OTA Entry Coordinating and Consulting Project" will select three specialized agencies with experience in online travel platform operations to help local small business owners and tourism operators sell globally.
These agencies will support the entire process from discovering Busan tourism businesses to OTA entry training and consulting, product registration, and sales launch. Up to 40 million won in subsidies will be provided based on project performance.
Through this public offering, the city plans to strengthen the structure connecting tourism content through "product development, global distribution, and tourist attraction," while expanding the foundation for attracting overseas tourists using online travel platforms.
A city official said, "Busan's tourism resources are now transitioning from 'content to view' to 'products to experience and consume,'" adding, "This will serve as a substantive opportunity for the local tourism industry to advance together into the global tourism market."