Collaboration with a Global OTA Targets 3 Million Tourists
Joint Promotion of Global Marketing and Tourism Product Development
Busan City has partnered with Agoda, signaling the arrival of an era where the city aims to attract 3 million foreign tourists and establish itself as a premier tourist destination. Recently, Busan has been actively reaching out to popular online platforms, such as signing an agreement with the online community platform Danggeun Market to promote the 15-Minute City initiative.
On October 27, Busan City (Mayor Park Heongjoon) announced that it would sign a memorandum of understanding for tourism exchange and cooperation with Agoda, the global online travel platform, at Paradise Hotel Busan in the afternoon.
This agreement aims to establish a strategic partnership with Agoda, a global online travel agency (OTA), to attract international tourists and revitalize local tourism. The signing ceremony was attended by Mayor Park Heongjoon and Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply at Agoda. The event was held in conjunction with the opening of the first Global City Tourism Summit on the same day.
Busan is the first local government in South Korea to enter into an agreement with Agoda. Agoda is a global online travel platform offering 6 million accommodations, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities, and is a highly popular service in South Korea as well.
Through this agreement, the two parties will jointly promote integrated marketing of Busan tourism in major overseas markets by leveraging Agoda's global platform. They have also agreed to collaboratively plan and develop customized tourism products that reflect tourist preferences and market demand. Further cooperation is planned to strengthen the global competitiveness of the Busan tourism brand and increase the number of international visitors.
Currently, Busan is experiencing record-breaking growth in the tourism sector. As of July, the city surpassed 2 million international tourists in the shortest period ever, and by August, the number reached 2.35 million. During the same period, tourism expenditure hit a record high of 659.4 billion won, and the number of visitors to Busan's beaches this summer reached 21.98 million, the highest since the COVID-19 pandemic. In the '2025 Summer Vacation Travel Satisfaction Survey' released by Consumer Insight, Busan ranked first nationwide.
Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President at Agoda, stated, "We will introduce the charms of Busan to travelers around the world in 39 languages across 26 countries," adding, "Through this collaboration, I hope Busan will grow into a city that leads global travel trends."
Mayor Park Heongjoon emphasized, "By working with Agoda, we will make it easier for travelers worldwide to discover Busan's hidden culture and tourism resources. By combining Agoda's global network and technological capabilities with Busan's tourism infrastructure and content, we will further strengthen our global competitiveness."
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