Foreign tourists visiting Busan. Yonhap News

"About 1.2 million won per person was spent on leisure or relaxation, with groups of 2-3 people, such as friends or couples, flying to Busan and staying for 6 days to enjoy food tours and shopping."

This sentence summarizes the typical travel patterns of foreigners visiting Busan.

As the number of foreign tourists to Busan surpassed 3 million for the first time this year, a recent survey conducted by the Busan Tourism Organization on 1,060 foreign tourists who visited Busan last year is drawing attention.

According to the survey results released on the 7th, the average length of stay for tourists was 6.2 days. 90.8% of respondents indicated that they stayed in Busan for 4 days or more, suggesting that Busan is attractive as a destination for extended stays.

Hotels were the most used accommodation facilities, accounting for 78.9%. Among these, relatively affordable 2-3 star hotels comprised 62.9%, while 4-5 star hotels accounted for 17.0%. Guesthouses and hostels accounted for 10.8%, and private rentals/shared accommodations were 23.4%.

The primary purpose of travel to Busan was leisure/relaxation for 76% of respondents, followed by participation in festivals or events at 15.2%, and attending international conferences at 4.3%.

Reasons for choosing Busan as a travel destination (multiple answers allowed) included enjoying natural scenery at 81.7%, food tours at 81.3%, exploring historical and cultural heritage sites at 73.6%, leisure and sports activities including swimming at 67.6%, and experiencing traditional culture such as temple stays at 59.9%.

The most satisfying activities in Busan were food tours at 45.7%, followed by temple stays at 8.9%, enjoying natural scenery at 7.8%, leisure and sports activities at 6.8%, and participating in festivals and events at 6.8%, which differed somewhat from the reasons for choosing the destination.

Regarding transportation used to arrive in Busan, airplanes were the most common mode of transport with 93.3% of respondents, followed by trains at 55.4% and express/intercity buses at 15.8% (multiple answers allowed).

The average number of travel companions was 2.8 people, with friends or romantic partners being the most common group at 61.7%.

The travel type was predominantly independent travel (48.1%) or "airtel" packages (47.7%) compared to fully packaged tours (4.2%).

Transportation used within Busan (multiple answers allowed) included taxis at 83.4%, subways at 80.8%, city buses at 65.8%, city tour buses at 26.9%, and rental cars at 4.9%.

Foreign tourists visiting Jagalchi Market in Busan. Yonhap News

The main attractions visited were Gwangalli Beach at 58.5%, Nampo-dong BIFF Square at 55.5%, Gamcheon Culture Village at 55.2%, Gukje Market at 46.9%, and Haeundae Beach at 40.8%.

The total expenditure per person was surveyed at $828.4, which translates to 11,217,000 won based on an exchange rate of 1,469 won per dollar.

Breakdown of expenditure showed transportation costs were the highest at $364.5, followed by accommodation at $256.7, shopping at $227.6, and food and beverages at $209.8.

For shopping locations, downtown commercial areas accounted for a significant portion at 78.4%, followed by traditional markets at 74.5%. Large supermarkets comprised 45.1%, department stores 30.8%, and outlets 26.6%.

The satisfaction level with the Busan trip was surveyed at 99.3%.

The Busan Tourism Organization stated that the image of Busan among foreigners is analyzed to be improving year by year.