Busan is officially having a record-breaking tourism boom! Which new 'hotspot' has become an absolute must-visit for foreign travelers?

What do foreigners do when they come to Busan? The number of foreign tourists visiting Korea surpassed 5.5 million in the first four months of this year, surpassing the previous record of 2019. Not only Seoul but also Busan are enjoying unprecedented specialties. The figure is a record-high 2.93 million foreign tourists visited Busan last year alone. It is a record-high since the record-high 2.96 million in 2016. Emerging activity facilities such as Haeundae Beach Train and Skyline Luge are on the rise as international attractions. What do foreigners do in Busan? Here are some foreign tourist attractions in Busan.

Haeundae Sky Capsule became a must-go course

1.2 million people.
The number of foreign passengers who experienced the "Blue Line Park" in Haeundae last year. The Blue Line Park is the name of the theme park and tourist railway that was built in October 2020 on the "Mipo, Cheongsapo, and Songjeong (4.8 km) section of the former Donghae Southern Line in Busan. Nearly half of the 2.72 million passengers last year, or 45 percent, were foreigners.

The tourist railway is divided into the "Haeundae Beach Train" that runs between Mipo and Songjeong, and the "Sky Capsule" that moves along the 7-10m-high aerial rail. I visited Mipo Station in Blue Line Park on the afternoon of the 21st of last month. The line of Sky Capsule was over 100m even on weekdays, and surprisingly, more than 90 percent of them were foreigners. Sky Capsule is popular with young foreign tourists as it can capture images of the train being monopolized with the background of Haeundae Beach. It travels 2km from Mipo to Cheongsapo at a laidback speed of 4km/h.

There are more than 10,000 posts on Instagram tagged with "skycapsule" and "blueline park." Nicky, a 20-something tourist from Hong Kong, said, "I saw pictures of skycapsules several times on social media. I came to Busan as soon as I came here to take pictures of my life."

Haeundae Beach Train is more popular outside the train. The railroad crossing in front of Cheongsapo Station has long gone viral as a photo zone that can capture the sea and trains in one frame. Whenever a train passes every 15 to 30 minutes, there is a commotion with foreigners taking photos of themselves.

With the launch of the Blue Line Park, the atmosphere in the neighborhood has changed. Cheongsapo, which used to be full of grilled clams, is now crowded with young cafes, souvenir shops, and restaurants every day. "On weekdays, most of our customers are foreigners," said Choi Won-ho, CEO of Ocean Breeze, a cafe with a view in front of Cheongsapo. "There are days when people respond only in English all day long." Paradise Hotel Busan, a luxury hotel in Haeundae, recently launched a package product exclusively for foreigners, including a ticket to the Blue Line Park.