Taiwan catches 'Busan fever' as tourism body runs fam tour for Chinese-speaking market

The Busan Tourism Organization has hosted a familiarization tour for prominent Taiwanese influencers in response to explosive demand for Busan travel among Taiwanese tourists. The economic impact of Taiwanese travelers' "Busan fever" is becoming visible, as a Taiwanese airline plans to sharply increase flights on the Taichung-Busan route in November.

The organization said Wednesday that it ran a familiarization tour for the Chinese-speaking market from Sept. 1 to 9, inviting a total of 23 people, including prominent Taiwanese influencers and officials from major Taichung travel agencies. The tour came in line with surging demand from Taiwanese tourists and Starlux Airlines' new Taipei-Busan and Taichung-Busan routes.

The influencer group promoted Busan on social media, focusing on trendy experiences such as yacht rides, a perfume workshop and glass-craft classes. They also highlighted food content centered on Bujeon Market — one of Busan's most famous traditional markets — and new cafes in the western Busan area.

The travel agency delegation inspected major hotels in downtown Busan and toured the city's signature attractions, including Arte Museum, the Haeundae Beach Train and the Songdo Cable Car. It also visited key sites in western Busan. The agencies plan to develop new Busan tour products departing from Taichung.

An official from the organization said, "As Starlux Airlines plans to sharply increase its Taichung-Busan flights from three to seven times a week starting Nov. 2, this familiarization tour is a strategy to maximize the effect of attracting both group and free independent travelers from central Taiwan."

Meanwhile, Taiwan's EBC news channel program Trendsetters ran a segment on Aug. 25 titled "Busan Fever: Once You Go, You Want to Go Again." The segment's subtitle described the trend as spreading in Taiwan as Busan tourism authorities woo travelers with discounts. The segment highlighted Busan's tourism appeal, describing the "Busan fever" phenomenon in which visitors who once experienced the city's sea views, scenery and food keep wanting to return.

A Busan Tourism Organization official said, "As attention on Busan is reaching its peak, we will use target-specific marketing tied to local trends and continue expanding content to encourage repeat visits so that Busan can establish itself as a city people want to visit again."