Busan sheds off-season slump as K-beauty, medical tourism drive 15-fold transaction surge

Busan is shedding its reputation as a destination with a slow season, with K-beauty and medical tourism emerging as the key growth drivers.

Creatrip, an inbound tourism platform, said Wednesday that transactions in Busan last month surged roughly 15-fold compared with the same period last year, marking the highest monthly figure of the year.

Data from Creatrip's Busan partner network show that monthly transactions have more than doubled year-on-year every month since January, with the growth margin widening steadily. Last year, transactions peaked in April before declining through the summer months. This year, however, they have continued to climb past April, effectively breaking the city's traditional summer lull.

Beauty and medical services have led the surge. Dermatology clinics that newly joined the platform this year accounted for more than half of all Busan transactions from January through July. Beyond dermatology, the broader medical segment — including health checkups — grew roughly 37-fold, while the beauty category covering hair, makeup and nail services rose about 57%, and the specialized hair segment encompassing scalp care and hair spa treatments climbed roughly 97%.

To keep pace with rising demand, Creatrip expanded its Busan partner network by about 73% in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year. Beyond beauty and medical products, the platform has broadened its offerings to include experiential products such as yacht tours, spa facilities and food and beverage experiences.

Taiwanese tourists made up the largest share of bookings by nationality, accounting for about 57% of all Busan reservations from January through July. Japan, Hong Kong and the United States followed.

"We are working with the Busan Tourism Organization on joint promotions and moving faster than anyone to expand our local partner network — all in an effort to go beyond simple medical tourism and continuously grow the range of experiential products unique to Busan," said Lim Hye-min, CEO of Creatrip. "We will keep developing diverse tourism products so that Busan — which is in effect becoming a destination with no off-season — can establish itself as an even more attractive destination for foreign visitors."

Meanwhile, Creatrip is running the "2026 Busan Wellness Medical Tourism Promotion" in partnership with the Busan Tourism Organization. The campaign offers exclusive benefits for foreign tourists at hospitals and wellness businesses designated as leading partner medical institutions by the Busan Tourism Organization.