This fall, foreign tourist bookings for travel to South Korea have surged, with Busan emerging as a key destination in the Asia-Pacific region.
Trip.com Group, which operates the global online travel platform Trip.com, released an analysis of travel booking data for the fall season (September to November) in the Asia-Pacific region on October 29.
The data shows that South Korea recorded the highest growth rate in flight bookings among major countries in the Asia-Pacific for overseas travelers this fall.
Busan has shown the most significant growth among domestic cities, ranking third among the fastest-growing travel destinations in the Asia-Pacific. Travel bookings during this period increased by 62.7% compared to the same time last year. Tourists from various Asian countries, including China, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, contributed to this rise. According to the city of Busan, 3,434,620 foreign tourists visited from January to August this year, a 45.9% increase from 2,354,267 during the same period last year, more than double the national growth rate of 21.6%.
Travel bookings for Seoul and Jeju Island also increased by 37.1% and 31.4%, respectively.
With the arrival of the fall foliage season, there has been a clear preference for seasonal travel destinations in Asia. Gyeongbokgung Palace and Namsan were ranked 13th and 20th, respectively, in Trip.com's global ranking of fall foliage destinations for 2026.
Notable autumn spots in Japan, such as Kyoto's Arashiyama and Tokyo's Shinjuku Gyoen, also ranked highly.
Booking patterns by generation reveal that millennials account for nearly half of all flight and hotel reservations, showing the highest proportion. Generation Z recorded double-digit growth compared to the previous year, demonstrating the steepest increase in flight bookings.
This travel demand has also led to increased information sharing on digital platforms. Posts related to autumn scenery on Trip.com's traveler community platform, Trip Moment, reached 2,497 in September, marking a 203% increase compared to the same month last year and a 242% increase from the previous month.
Hong Jong-min, head of Trip.com’s Korea branch, stated, "Recently, global travelers' interest in South Korea is rapidly expanding beyond Seoul to various regional cities like Busan. We will continue to showcase diverse content and promotions to ensure that more domestic cities become attractive travel destinations for travelers worldwide."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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