Faced with the trend of international tourists increasingly expanding their journeys outside Seoul, many localities in South Korea are promoting the improvement of transportation systems, aiming to improve the travel experience and connectivity between regions.
These measures not only focus on convenience in the inner city but also expand links with neighboring areas and major gateways such as Incheon Airport. Through this, the government expects to attract attention to less-known destinations and encourage tourists to stay longer.
Busan, one of the localities recording a rapid increase in international visitors, has implemented a pilot program allowing passengers to carry large suitcases onto buses. Route 85 connecting tourist destinations such as Seomyeon, Busan station and Yeongdo is chosen to be applied, due to the high number of foreign visitors. Accordingly, passengers can carry suitcases up to 30 inches and place them in a dedicated area.
The city also plans to accept international card payments on public transport, and expand nighttime transportation services. This is a step to solve long-standing inconveniences when many transportation systems still require cash or do not support foreign cards.
In parallel, Busan is developing a high-class bus service with folding seats and spacious space, directly connecting Incheon airport and the city. Traffic routes to coastal tourist attractions and ancient temples in Ulsan and South Gyeongsang province are also being strengthened.
On Jeju Island, the plan to resume direct flights from Incheon is expected to help shorten the journey for international tourists, instead of having to transit through Gimpo airport as before. This move is expected to improve Jeju's accessibility, which mainly serves short international routes.
Jeju also continues to expand its friendly policy towards tourists by deploying a public transport payment system with international cards and providing free bus services for foreign visitors on the occasion of the April 3rd anniversary.
In rural areas, the tourist taxi model is being applied to compensate for the limitations of the bus system. In Uljin, visitors can participate in 4-hour tours at significant subsidized costs. Dangjin is also implementing a similar program, supporting about half of the cost.
These efforts reflect a strategy to improve tourism quality, towards a more convenient and diverse experience for tourists when exploring Korea outside of Seoul.
