부산 찾은 외국인들 통크게 지갑도 열었다...63% 증가 / KNN

#KNNNews #Busan #Foreigners #Tourists [Anchor] The increase in foreign tourists visiting Busan is leading to positive changes in local commercial districts. It has been found that foreign spending has actually expanded significantly, from department stores to alleyway commercial areas. Reporter Kim Dong-hwan reports. [Reporter] Nampo-dong in Busan is one of the representative tourist destinations frequently visited by foreign tourists! Foreigners can easily be seen in the nearby restaurant district during lunchtime. It is also a familiar sight to see foreigners taking selfies with their food. {Kim Young-hee / Manager of a Dakgalbi specialty restaurant / "There are many customers. Many tourists come, and it gets quite busy even during the day when cruise ships arrive."} With the increase in foreign visitors, menus have even been prepared in English, Chinese, and Russian. {Yi Yan / Taiwanese Tourist / "(Busan) is a place where you can enjoy beautiful scenery and food, so it’s fun and enjoyable for everyone."} The number of foreign visitors to Busan in the first half of this year exceeded 2.42 million, a 43.9% increase compared to the same period last year. Tourists' spending has also grown. Tourist expenditures reached 590 billion won, a 63% increase, which is higher than the national average growth rate. The increase in foreign spending was also evident in large retail facilities. From January to July of this year, foreign sales at Lotte Department Store’s Busan Main Branch increased by 160% compared to last year, while sales at the East Busan Branch increased by 180%. {Maeng Jin-hwan / Head of Public Relations at Lotte Department Store / "As they prefer to experience Korea's everyday culture and consumption, the range of shopping is diversifying to include cosmetics, fashion, and desserts."} Shinsegae Centum City Branch also saw a 230% increase in foreign sales in the first half of the year compared to last year, surpassing the growth rate of its main branch in Myeongdong, Seoul. ** Furthermore, riding the K-Beauty boom, many foreigners are flocking to Seomyeon Medical Street, beauty salons, and specialty makeup shops, breathing vitality into the local economy. {Nam Jeong-ho / Manager, Research Team, Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry / "We expect this to contribute to the overall vitality of the local economy by leading to sales recovery for local small business owners and employment stability in the service sector."} "It appears necessary to implement a strategy that links tourism and shopping so that the spending of the increasing number of foreign tourists flows into the local commercial district as a whole. This is Kim Dong-hwan from KNN." Video Coverage: Hwang Tae-cheol Tip-off KakaoTalk: Add 'KNN' as a friend Email: [email protected] [email protected] Website: www.knn.co.kr Search: KNN