Busan, Korea's premier nighttime tourism city known for the Busan Fireworks Festival (1.03 million attendees on the 9th) and illuminated Gwangalli Bridge and Haeundae, is expanding nighttime tourism citywide through "Byeolbada Busan Night Festa." The project, introduced first nationwide in 2022, spans July through December with storyline-based nighttime walking tours, campnic-style night performances, and healing festivals. New venues beyond traditional Haeundae/Gwangalli include Yongdusan Park (previously a declining downtown symbol revitalized with media park and night programs attracting 26.1% of visitors aged in their 20s in 2023), Dadaepo Beach Park, and Hwamyeong Ecological Park — demonstrating the shift from "scenery tourism" to participatory content-type tourism.
Results: 140,000+ tourists participated in experiential nighttime content at Yongdusan Park and Dadaepo Beach Park in 2024 alone; foreign visitors to Busan in January-August 2024 increased 76.6% year-on-year (vs. 62.9% national average) — Taiwan tourists up 209% (323,903 visitors), Hong Kong up 493% (80,808 visitors). Busan Tourism Organization attributes the growth to nighttime tourism strategy and plans content upgrades and aggressive marketing targeting international visitors. Busan city is in the 2nd year of its Nighttime Tourism Specialized City project and approaching mid-term evaluation, with plans to further consolidate its position as a global nighttime tourism city representing K-tourism.
