Busan’s Eight Beaches Draw 22.53 Million Visitors, the Highest Number Ever Recorded

[Financial News] A huge crowd flocked to Busan’s eight beaches this summer, pushing the city’s visitor count to an all-time high.

After Busan’s eight beaches fully closed for the season, with Haeundae Beach being the last to close on the 15th, Busan City announced on the 17th that a total of 22.53 million people had visited the beaches during their operating period.
That figure was up 2.54% from the previous year, marking the highest number of visitors ever recorded. The total surpassed 20 million for the second consecutive year, following last year, once again demonstrating that Busan is a world-class summer tourist destination.
As of the end of the season, Haeundae Beach became the first beach in the country to surpass 10 million visitors, solidifying its status as Korea’s leading beach. Visitor growth was not limited to eastern Busan. Busan Songdo Beach recorded 3.2 million visitors, with its total rising by as much as 5.96% from the previous year.
This year, the city focused on strengthening safety management and maintaining order at each beach to create a safe and pleasant environment for visitors. It worked to prevent overcrowding through disaster information displays, banners, and regular announcements, while promoting compliance with safety rules and restrictions and expanding patrols during vulnerable hours.
Na Yun-bin, head of the Tourism and MICE Bureau, said, "We did our utmost to manage beach safety and operate tourism content so that residents and domestic and international tourists visiting Busan’s beaches this summer could stay and enjoy themselves safely." Na added, "Building on this year’s achievements, we will address and improve shortcomings, develop differentiated content and branding that reflect each beach’s unique characteristics, and create a Busan that people want to visit throughout the year."
Even after official beach operations have ended, the city plans to continue safety management and guidance activities to prevent accidents involving residents and tourists. Safety management personnel and guidance staff will remain stationed at each beach, while patrols and on-site inspections will continue and campaigns urging people to refrain from entering the water will be strengthened.
In November, the city also plans to hold a meeting to review the results of beach operations, comprehensively assess this year’s performance, address shortcomings, and incorporate the findings into next year’s beach operations.
[email protected] Byun Ok-hwan Reporter