Busan vs Seoul
Busan leads Seoul by 11 points on the CIRA Index, 86 to 75. Busan grades better on 8 measures, Seoul on 3; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Busan 86, Seoul 75
- OECD: Busan 81, Seoul 73
- UN Tourism: Busan 90, Seoul 78
- UNDRR: Busan 76, Seoul 75
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Busan 88, Seoul 75
- Economy and jobs: Busan 92, Seoul 92
- Climate and hazards: Busan 60, Seoul 60
- Water and environment: Busan 94, Seoul 81
- Community and housing: Busan 100, Seoul 58
- Access and continuity: Busan 79, Seoul 83
Where Busan is stronger
- Domestic share of nights: 49.4 % of nights by residents of the same country (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
- Largest foreign market: 18.9 % of international arrivals or nights (Busan Metropolitan City & Busan Tourism Organization (via The Korea Times), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
- Recovery against 2019: 109.3 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Busan Metropolitan Government / Breeze in Flow, 2024). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 260 kg per resident per year (Fiscal Reform Institute (나라살림연구소), Research on Improvements to Municipal Waste Management Contracting in Busan Metropolitan City (citing Ministry of Environment Waste Generation and Treatment Status), 2023). At or below 350: grade 4/4.
- Green space: 70.8 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (country figure) (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) & Korea Land and Geospatial Informatix Corporation (LX), 2025 Urban Planning Status Statistics, 2025). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
- Rent growth: 2.6 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Korea Real Estate Board cited in real estate market reporting, Jan–Jul 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
- Short-let density: 0.3 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (AirDNA Market Report & Statistics Korea (KOSIS) Population and Housing Census, 2024–2026). At or below 0.5: grade 4/4.
- Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Authority & Busan Metropolitan City, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
Where Seoul is stronger
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 79 % average annual occupancy (Cushman & Wakefield via The Korea JoongAng Daily, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A plan with named owners, operators and recovery funding (Seoul Metropolitan Government & Seoul Tourism Organization (STO), 2025–2026). Grade 3/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) & The Korea Herald, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
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