"Busan Fever" (Busanbyeong), a term describing the urge to return to Busan after visiting once, is spreading across Greater China. As the city's popularity has driven up demand for direct flights, Gimhae International Airport recorded its highest number of international passengers since opening, and the Busan Metropolitan City has even launched a tourism marketing campaign built around "treating Busan Fever."
"Regional Airport Growth Rate Double That of Seoul Area"... Gimhae Airport Hits Record High
According to Yanolja Research on the 27th, the number of foreigners who entered Korea through metropolitan-area airports in the first quarter of this year reached 3.426 million, up 19% from 2019. In contrast, arrivals through regional airports totaled about 850,000, a 40.1% increase over the same period, more than double the growth rate of the metropolitan area. Analysts say this reflects a clear shift in inbound tourism from Seoul-centered destinations toward regional areas.
Gimhae Airport has been the biggest beneficiary. In the first half of this year, international passengers at Gimhae Airport reached about 6.07 million, up 23.2% from the same period last year, setting a record high. That is about 1 million more than the pre-COVID-19 peak in the first half of 2019 (5.08 million). After surpassing 10 million annual international passengers for the first time last year, the airport is expected to exceed 12 million this year.
The increase in foreign travelers is even steeper. In the first quarter of this year, about 430,000 foreigners entered Korea through Gimhae Airport, up 45.5% from a year earlier, far exceeding the overall growth rate for international flights. Japan (2.59 million) accounted for the largest share, followed by Vietnam (1.03 million), Taiwan (946,000), and China (599,000).
Route expansion is also continuing. After Air Busan's Shizuoka route and Eastar Jet's Almaty route launched, China Eastern Airlines (Nanjing), Loong Air (Hangzhou), and China Southern Airlines (Guangzhou and Dalian, in the works) have joined, expanding Gimhae Airport beyond Japan and Southeast Asia into a hub connecting China and Central Asia.
What Is "Busan Fever"?... No. 1 for 3-Day Trips in Taiwan, No. 1 in Satisfaction in China
The word symbolizing the popularity of Busan travel is "Busan Fever." Busan Fever is a coined term that compares the desire to return to Busan after a trip to an illness. It started as an expression of longing for a particular city, like the earlier term "Seoul Fever," but recently it has taken root on social media in China, Taiwan, and Japan as a phrase describing the aftereffects of a Busan trip.
In Taiwan, preference for Busan is rising rapidly. In the "2025 Taiwanese Travelers' Travel Preferences" survey released this year by global travel platform KKday, Busan ranked second overall among overseas destinations, and took first place in the category of short overseas trips of three days or fewer. With a flight time of only about two hours and 15 minutes from Taiwan to Busan, the ability to enjoy the sea, the city center, and gourmet travel all on a short schedule is cited as a strength.
Busan is also highly rated in China. According to an analysis by Yanolja Research of reviews on Xiaohongshu and Ctrip, China's leading social media platforms, Busan ranked first in satisfaction among Chinese tourists among eight major Asian cities, beating Tokyo and Singapore.
Busan residents themselves feel the city's popularity keenly. Yoon, a 33-year-old office worker living in Nam-gu, Busan, said, "About five years ago it wasn't like this," adding, "These days, regardless of whether it's a weekday or weekend, especially in the evenings, Gwangalli is packed with foreigners." He also said, "Busan residents do face inconveniences from traffic jams on the way home from work and from the crowds," but added, "The fact that a term like 'Busan Fever' has emerged, meaning people want to return to Busan, makes me proud."
Search volume has also risen sharply. Over the past year, interest in the English search term "Busan" on Google Trends rose about 50% from the previous year, and in Japan, searches related to Busan surged a whopping 190%.
Busan's unique travel content is another factor in its appeal. Landscapes where the sea meets alleyways—such as the Haeundae Blue Line Park's beach train and Sky Capsule, Gamcheon Culture Village, and Huinnyeoul Culture Village—have become signature tourist courses.
Food is not left out either. In a survey conducted last year by the Busan Tourism Organization of 15,796 Taiwanese tourists, dwaeji gukbap (pork rice soup) (66.9%) was chosen as the most desired food to try. It was followed by Busan fish cake (37.4%), seed hotteok (22.4%), and grilled eel (19.4%).
"We'll Cure Your Busan Fever"... Busan City Launches Marketing Too
The Busan Metropolitan City has begun using "Busan Fever"—first created by foreigners—as a tourism brand. The Busan Tourism Organization has teamed up with global travel platform KKday to run a "Busan Fever Healing Promotion" for one month starting on the 28th.
The promotion divides tourists' "Busan Fever" into three stages—early (feeling like a Busan resident), progressing (continuously searching for Busan travel content), and terminal (wanting to return to Busan)—and recommends tourism products tailored to each.
For the early stage, it suggests traditional markets and snap-photo experiences; for the progressing stage, the beach train, yacht tours, and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) at Gwangalli; and for the terminal stage, travel packages bundling the Visit Busan Pass, airfare, and shopping discount coupons.
Airfare discounts are also offered. During the promotion period, discount coupons for Busan routes worth up to 1,000 Taiwan dollars (about 50,000 won) and an additional 5% discount will be provided.
An official at the Busan Tourism Organization said, "We connected the nickname 'Busan Fever,' voluntarily created by foreign tourists, to tourism marketing," adding, "We plan to continue expanding stay-oriented content to further increase the number of tourists who return to Busan."
