Long celebrated by domestic beachgoers but often bypassed by international travelers in favor of Seoul, the southeastern port city of Busan is rapidly transforming into a major engine of Korea’s inbound tourism boom. According to data released Monday by the Busan Metropolitan Government, the city welcomed 1,936,572 international visitors between January and May of this year. The figures represent a staggering 40 percent increase compared to the same period of 2025, vastly outpacing the nationwide tourism growth rate of 21 percent. Local officials project that the city will comfortably breach the 2-million visitor milestone ahead of schedule, placing its annual target of four million global tourists within reach. The boom is reflecting heavily in cash registers across the city. Analysis of credit card transaction data compiled by the Korea Tourism Data Lab revealed that foreign tourist expenditures in Busan reached 454.4 billion won ($328 million) over the five-month stretch. The city secured the second-highest level of foreign tourism spending nationwide, trailing only Seoul, a positi