[Updates by TPO Members]

This issue: aviation expansion between Kazakhstan and China, foreign visitor spending in Busan, and new tourism initiatives across member cities.

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Aviation & Access

● Kazakhstan and China Expand Aviation Cooperation

Astana · Shanghai · Chengdu

• Kazakh and Chinese aviation authorities met in Beijing on July 13 for civil aviation talks, reaffirming the strategic weight of the partnership and agreeing to keep working on transport connectivity. They agreed to:

• Raise scheduled passenger frequencies between the two countries from 124 to 152 flights per week 

• Expand the list of designated Chinese cities open to service from 9 to 11 

– As of late July 2026, carriers serve seven cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Urumqi, Xi’an, Hangzhou and Yining, with Chongqing and Chengdu due to be added from the second half of the year

• Move ahead with a direct Astana–Shanghai route

● More Flights and New Programs Underpin Bilateral Exchange 

Taichung · Kaohsiung · Fukuoka · Tainan

• Aviation. China Airlines opened a new Taichung–Okinawa route (July 21), resumed Taipei–Toyama (Aug. 20), added frequencies on Taipei–Hiroshima (Aug. 22) and Kaohsiung–Okinawa (Sept. 15), and expanded direct charter operations to northern Kyushu with travel trade partners. 

• New programs. Fukuoka Prefecture launched a JPY 3,000 per person per night accommodation subsidy (July 7). 

• Tainan City began a tourism attraction discount program offering benefits in both Tainan and 12 Japanese friendship cities (July 1).

Market Data

● Foreign Visitors Drawn to the Coast Lift Spending in Busan

Busan

• Busan is seeing a windfall from foreign visitor spending. Convenience stores near Gwangalli and Haeundae have seen sales to foreign customers double or triple, and the city posted the highest annual growth in overseas card sales of any region in Korea.

• Busan accounted for 8% of all overseas card sales nationwide, third after Seoul (65%) and Gyeonggi (11%).

• Foreign visitors spent more per transaction than domestic customers in every sector. In services, foreigners spent an average of KRW 166,000 per payment, 3.5 times the domestic average of KRW 47,000.

 Policy & Programs

● Jeju Tourism Organization: ‘Marketing to Europe and North America Paid Off’

Jeju

• Since last year, Jeju Province and the Jeju Tourism Organization have run a broad sales campaign aimed at European and North American travelers, who tend to stay longer and spend more, developing premium stay-oriented products around the island’s natural and cultural assets while building global visibility. 

• Follow-up work with local trade partners turned into product launches and arrivals this year. In the Netherlands, a cycling product covering the 243 km loop along Jeju’s coast launched and completed its first three-night, four-day departure. 

• In France, a haenyeo (women divers) cultural experience launched through an online travel agency (OTA). A stay-type ‘learncation’ product for travelers interested in studying Korean also launched for the first time this year, drawing 21 visitors and strong satisfaction scores for its in-depth take on Jeju’s own culture.

 

● Jeonju Launches ‘Libtrip,’ Pairing Libraries with Travel

Jeonju

• Jeonju has unveiled a new ‘Library + Trip’ program that combines the city’s specialized library infrastructure with local cultural and tourism assets. 

• The program links Jeonju’s distinctive library network, Yeonhwajeong Library, Hanok Village Library, Dongmun Used Book Library and Ajung Lake Library, into stay-oriented tourism content built around rest and slower travel.

● Kazakh Tourism Markets Golf Travel to Korea

Almaty

• Kazakh Tourism, with support from Air Astana, Rixos Almaty and The Ritz-Carlton Almaty, invited eight Korean golf travel agencies on an Almaty golf product development familiarization tour from July 20 to 24.

• Participants played and inspected Almaty’s main golf courses and toured the Rixos and Ritz-Carlton properties to support development of Korean outbound golf products to Kazakhstan, and a B2B session between leading Korean and Kazakh agencies was held to convert the visit into business.

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Sources

Compiled from Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Data Lab, including reporting from KTO overseas offices. Original sources are in Korean.

• Jeonju ‘Libtrip’, Jeolla Ilbo

•​ Busan foreign visitor spending, Busan Ilbo

•​ Jeju Tourism Organization, Jeju Domin Ilbo

•​ Kazakhstan Tourism Market Trends (July 2026), KTO Almaty Office

•​ Tourism Market Trends (July 2026), KTO Taipei Office