Why Busan is the Top City for Chinese Tourists in Asia: A Deep Dive into Satisfaction Ratings

So where are Chinese travelers—the largest group of foreign visitors to Korea—going these days? A new satisfaction survey of major Asian cities, based on Chinese tourists’ posts and reviews, puts Busan ahead of Tokyo and Singapore.

Haedong Yonggungsa Temple in Busan / Photo: Unsplash

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Yanolja Research, a travel and tourism think tank, released a report titled Seoul and Busan as Experienced by Chinese Tourists: Comparative Evaluation of Experience Structures in Major Asian Cities. The study looked at how Chinese visitors actually experience Seoul and Busan—the two pillars of Korean tourism.

The researchers analyzed 11,270 Chinese-language posts on Xiaohongshu and 18,694 reviews on Ctrip. They compared expected experiences with actual satisfaction across eight major Asian cities: Seoul, Busan, Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Singapore, Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur.

Share of mentions for seven core elements in Seoul and Busan (unit: %) / Photo: Yanolja Research

The analysis found that mentions of shopping made up 38.2% of Seoul-related posts—the largest share. Unlike Tokyo, where visitors wander commercial neighborhoods like Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ginza, Seoul’s shopping scene is more goal-oriented: duty-free counters, cashback deals, bargain hunting and buying specific items.

K-content consumption also skews toward fandom-driven visits—fans going to specific agencies or concerts tied to names like SM, HYBE and YG. The report suggests turning those one-off visits into permanent, hands-on experiences that keep visitors on-site longer.

Ahn Yejin, a senior researcher at Yanolja Research, says Chinese tourists are shifting toward experience-led consumption. She warns that Seoul’s price- and product-driven shopping could be replaced by direct overseas purchases and digital platforms unless it offers more on-site experiences.

She also recommends that K-beauty move beyond simple product sales into experiential wellness—skin diagnostics, personal color consultations and makeup classes. And fandom-driven K-content should evolve so fans can see, feel and linger in ways that deepen their connection.

Busan Blue Line beach train / Photo: Unsplash

By contrast, mentions of nature dominated Busan posts at 38.2%. Food (23.8%) and shopping (16.4%) were the next most-talked-about elements.

Tourists frequently mentioned coastal spots such as Haeundae, Gwangalli, Cheongsapo and Songdo along with the Blue Line beach train, night views, seafood and market eats. That points to participatory tourism—riding, walking, eating and snapping photos, not just gazing at the sea.

As experience-led travel grows, the number of foreign visitors to Busan is rising fast.

In the first quarter, Busan welcomed 1,023,946 foreign visitors—the fastest the city has ever crossed the 1 million mark on record.

According to global travel platform Klook, after KORAIL launched a real-time rail ticket booking service for foreigners, Busan became the top destination by share of bookings. Gyeongju and Daegu followed, signaling growing interest in regional travel.

Traffic for Busan-area tour products rose 28% year-on-year. Gyeongju jumped 112%, and Daegu saw a 23% increase.

Bookings for Busan day tours (Sky Capsule, Gamcheon Culture Village, Haeundae Blue Line Park, etc.) rose 53%. The Haeundae Hill Spa jjimjilbang product grew 70%. Gyeongju World passes climbed 73%, and Daegu E-World tickets rose 33%.