A K-Tour Pass offering foreign tourists discounts on transportation and attractions is being piloted in Busan, a city emerging as a major travel destination.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said on the 1st that it had introduced the pass that day in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization. The program is designed to make regional travel easier for foreign visitors who prefer independent travel and to raise satisfaction with trips outside the capital.
Busan was chosen for the pilot as the most preferred destination among foreign tourists outside Seoul. In last year's survey of inbound visitors, 15.7% said they had visited Busan, the second-highest figure after Seoul at 76.8%. The city recently said 2,927,674 foreign tourists visited Busan from January through July this year, up 46.1% from 2,003,466 a year earlier. That growth rate exceeded the nationwide increase of 21.3% by 24.8 percentage points.
Discounts on Transport and Partner Merchants
The pass comes in two versions, both priced at 15,000 won: Pass 1, a discount voucher for one-way travel to Busan, and Pass 2, a period pass linked to discounts on two- to five-day KORAIL Pass tickets. Buyers of the one-way option receive up to 40% off one-way fares on intercity rail, buses and other long-distance transport to Busan, while the period pass provides a discount on two- to five-day KORAIL Pass purchases.
Buyers of either product receive a set discount on airport railroad express train fares and can visit one of 35 participating attractions in Busan free of charge. Additional discounts are available at 50 partner merchants, including experience facilities and cafes.
The passes can be purchased through the apps and websites of online travel agencies Klook and Webtour (Hop and Hop). After purchase, buyers can apply the 40% discount when booking long-distance transport to Busan. Free admission and discounts at attractions are redeemed by presenting a barcode issued at the time of purchase.
Users who want one can also receive a physical card that can be used to pay subway and city bus fares and, once loaded with won, used as a debit card. The physical card is issued free of charge at kiosks installed at Incheon, Gimpo and Gimhae international airports and at Seoul and Busan stations, where it can be loaded with cash in won or with an overseas credit card. Online, it can be loaded only with an overseas credit card through the app or website.
The ministry plans to improve the service based on information gathered during the pilot and to expand transportation and attraction benefits next year by linking the pass to five tourism zones centered on regional airports. It has allocated 9 billion won in next year's budget proposal for the effort, about three times this year's amount. Kang Jung-won, head of the ministry's tourism policy office, said, "Through the K-Tour Pass pilot, we hope foreign tourists will be able to enjoy transportation payments and attractions conveniently and without burden."
As Busan has gained attention as a global tourist destination, a new term has been circulating among foreign visitors: "Busan fever," describing a lingering longing that leaves travelers wanting to return after their trip ends. Visitors from Taiwan, China and Japan, which have many direct flights and are relatively close, account for a large share of arrivals. The number of tourists from the United States, which has no direct routes to the city, is also rising.
