Busan Tourism Organization signs tourism MOU with Vietnam's Da Nang

The Busan Tourism Organization signed a memorandum of understanding with Da Nang's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Friday to boost tourism exchanges between the two cities, the organization announced Monday.

The MOU was signed amid a rapid increase in flights and tourist traffic between Busan and Da Nang, and aims to strengthen the foundation for tourism cooperation between the two cities.

According to the organization, 5,363 Vietnamese nationals arrived at Gimhae International Airport from Da Nang in the first quarter of this year, about 3.8 times more than in the same period of 2024. Flights on the Da Nang route also increased from 350 to 531 over the same period, pointing to growing potential for expanded tourism exchange between Busan and Da Nang.

Under the agreement, the two organizations will cooperate on joint promotion and marketing, the exchange of tourism market trends, statistics and major event information, the activation of direct flight routes, the development of new tourism products, and the expansion of tourist exchanges between the two cities.

The Busan Tourism Organization plans to work with Da Nang to develop tailored products for Vietnamese tourists drawing on Busan's marine tourism, food, shopping and hallyu content, while stepping up promotional efforts targeting travel industry players and consumers in Vietnam.

With particular attention to the Vietnamese market, where interest in Free Independent Travel and experiential tourism has been growing, the organization intends to develop tourism products combining Busan's coastal scenery, nightscapes, local cuisine, traditional markets and hands-on experiences.

The two organizations also agreed to jointly pursue tourism fairs, travel industry forums, familiarization tours and online promotional campaigns to raise awareness of Busan and Da Nang's tourism appeal among visitors from both countries.

"Da Nang is one of Vietnam's leading tourist cities, closely connected to Busan by direct flights," said Lee Jeong-sil, president of the Busan Tourism Organization. "We will push forward with joint marketing and tourism product development to attract more Vietnamese tourists and invigorate the local tourism industry."