World tourism leaders converge on Busan's Haeundae

Global tourism leaders gathered in Busan on Monday as international passenger traffic at Gimhae Airport surpassed 10 million this year — three months ahead of last year's pace.

Busan city said it is co-hosting the 2nd Global City Tourism Summit with the Global City Tourism Promotion Organization and the Busan Tourism Organization through Wednesday at Paradise Hotel Busan and other venues in the Haeundae area.

Held under the theme "Local Tourism: Connecting Urban Economy and Tourism Innovation," the summit brings together more than 700 participants — including delegations from 31 cities in 16 countries, government and international organization officials, and tourism industry experts and business representatives — to explore ways to turn each city's unique local resources and culture into a competitive tourism advantage.

The summit opened Monday morning with a ceremony at the Grand Ballroom of Paradise Hotel Busan, followed by a keynote session, a high-level policy session, an ambassador session, a mayoral conference and bilateral meetings.

The keynote session will examine how sustainable tourism and digital innovation are reshaping urban economies and creating new growth opportunities, under the theme "The Future Urban Economy Shaped by Local Tourism and Digital Innovation." The high-level policy session will see city leaders from around the world share their tourism policy visions and best practices — with Busan presenting on smart tourism and digital innovation, San Salvador on local economies and community co-prosperity, Machu Picchu on sustainable tourism and urban resilience, and Colombo on city branding and the tourism experience.

In the ambassador session, ambassadors to South Korea from four countries will highlight their cities' hidden tourism assets and brand value and discuss ways to revitalize urban economies through tourism. Bilateral meetings between cities and organizations will also be held to deepen mutual understanding and identify concrete areas for cooperation.

A highlight of this year's summit is the mayoral conference, at which leaders from 20 cities will adopt the "2040 Sustainable Urban Tourism Joint Vision." The shared vision calls for resident-centered tourism that treats citizens as active participants, innovation driven by technology and data, capacity-sharing among cities, and stronger sustainability and resilience.

Participating cities plan to expand their cooperation framework — while respecting each city's own conditions and priorities — to ensure that the benefits of tourism translate into tangible gains for local communities and residents.

A Global City Tourism Road Show will also run in the Gunam-ro area of Haeundae, where tourism promotion booths, world cultural experiences, international food stalls and cultural performances will introduce each participating city's tourism appeal to locals and visitors alike.

Tuesday's program features a range of sessions covering "good tourism" — addressing quality standards and new benchmarks for urban growth — as well as marine tourism as a driver of the urban economy, sustainable tourism models combining wellness and local content, and pathways for youth entering the tourism industry.

A business consultation fair will offer one-on-one meetings between domestic and international tourism companies and organizations, along with reverse-pitching sessions in which companies present investment proposals to potential partners, creating opportunities for new ventures and collaboration. Busan city said it aims to leverage the summit's global city exchanges to drive visits, spending, business activity and job creation in Busan, while strengthening the city's competitiveness as a tourism destination and boosting the local economy.

"Busan's tourism industry is at a turning point for a new leap forward, driven by rapid growth," Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said. "We place greater emphasis on qualitative growth over quantitative expansion, and we hope the city representatives who joined the mayoral conference and the joint vision will carry that spirit into concrete cooperation projects in their own cities' policies and on the ground."