22 Cities from 14 Countries Gather in Busan to Discuss the ‘Future Strategies for Urban Tourism’

Over 400 delegates from 22 Cities across 14 Countries Gather in Busan for Global City Tourism Summit

BUSAN, Korea- The 1st Global City Tourism Summit, co-hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO) from October 27 to 29 across Busan. The Summit has been organized to explore mid- to long-term visions and digital innovation for urban tourism in the rapidly evolving global tourism landscape. It will also address key agendas in the tourism industry, such as digital transformation, revitalization of local tourism resources through localism, and inter-city cooperation. Through this summit, Busan, TPO, and BTO aim to present a new direction for intercity tourism cooperation.

The Hub of Global Tourism Policy Takes Place in Busan

With support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea, UN Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), the event will bring together over 400 participants, including mayors and city delegations from 22 cities across 14 countries, as well as officials in tourism policy, international organizations, academia, and industry leaders.

Beginning with the Opening Ceremony on October 27, the three-day event will feature a total of 23 programs, including the Mayors’ Roundtable and Joint Statement Signing Ceremony, Keynote Session (UN Tourism High-level Session), Special Dialogue, Bilateral Meetings, Thematic Sessions, Business Meet-up, and the Global City Tourism Roadshow. Held under the theme “Promoting Local Tourism & Culture through Innovation and Cooperation,” the Summit will explore the future of inclusive and sustainable tourism grounded in local culture and innovation. In particular, the Mayors’ Roundtable will bring together mayors from 22 global cities to discuss practical measures for intercity cooperation and adopt the “Joint Statement” for sustainable tourism development.

Driving Urban Innovation through ‘Good Tourism’

[Session I] will feature participation from global companies such as Mastercard and Agoda, exploring how digital technology is transforming the tourism experience. The session will also present data-driven tourism policies and public–private partnership models that promote innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector.

[Session II], under the theme "Good Tourism: Innovating Urban Competitiveness," will bring together tourism leaders from major global cities and academic experts. The founder of the Good Tourism Institute (Netherlands) and a representative from Mori Memorial Foundation (Japan), publisher of the Global Power City Index, will share international case studies on tourism competitiveness and discuss how city governments can drive innovation through Good Tourism principles—harmonizing people, local communities, and the environment—while leveraging digital transformation and local cultural assets.

Diverse Sessions, Business Networking, and Youth Participation

Busan, the TPO, and the BTO aim to establish an integrated tourism platform connecting policy, industry, and citizens through this Summit.

The event will feature a keynote session (UN Tourism High-level Session), an Ambassadors’ Session where ambassadors from four countries will share their nations’ tourism policies, and a Business Meet-up involving 30 tourism agencies and seven venture capital (VC) firms, providing a platform for practical business exchange.

 In addition, the Summit will present a new model combining tourism policy, industry, and civic participation through a wide range of programs, including the Youth Tourism Connect Talk Show that engages both youth and citizens, the Destination Rediscovery Session highlighting promotional best practices of collaboration between cities and influencers, And the Special Session on cooperation to enhance tourism between Korea and Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan)

Global City Tourism Summit, as a global tourism platform

During the Summit period, TPO will conduct a capacity-building program to promote Busan’s workation policies to mid-level officials from foreign governments. Furthermore, 30 young participants from 22 cities around the world were invited to Korea to take part in “K-CLIP” (Korean Culture and Language Immersion Program)—an 11-day youth leadership and exchange program held across Andong, Mungyeong, Daegu and Busan. Through these initiatives, TPO aims to develop the next generation of tourism leaders and strengthen intercity youth networks

Through this Summit, Busan aims to build upon and advance the legacy of its International Tourism City initiative, create new global business opportunities by strengthening networks among key organizations in the tourism industry, and promote local tourism based on regional identity (localism) as part of its efforts to position Busan as a leading global tourism hub city.

In addition, the Summit will be held in conjunction with the “Busan Global City Week 2025,” organized by the Busan Global City Foundation (BGCF), and the “2025 Global Culinary Tourism Forum,” hosted by the BTO, to maximize synergy and collaborative impact.

World’s First Global Tourism Open University Network Launched

Mayor Park Hyeong-joon, Busan Metropolitan City, highlighted the global significance of the inaugural Global City Tourism Summit, noting the strong enthusiasm of cities worldwide to advance urban development through tourism. “In preparing for the first Global City Tourism Summit, we witnessed the remarkable passion of cities around the world for driving urban progress through tourism,” he said. “Building on this momentum, we plan to make the Summit an annual event and further develop it into the largest integrated platform for the global tourism industry.”

Kang Da-eun, Secretary-General of the Tourism Promotion Organization for Global Cities (TPO), stated, “The Global City Tourism Summit is a symbolic event that demonstrates Busan’s role as a global tourism hub connecting cities around the world.” She added, “Through this Summit, TPO aims to present new urban tourism strategies and future-oriented cooperation models, while shaping a concrete direction for solidarity and innovation among cities.”

Expansion of the Global Tourism Network Beginning in Busan

The TPO, an international organization headquartered in Busan since 2002, has 143 member cities and 60 private members worldwide. TPO promotes intercity tourism cooperation through a variety of joint projects and international networking initiatives. Through this Summit, the organization aims to expand its cooperation network beyond Asia Pacific to major cities across Europe and Africa, setting a new milestone for the global tourism industry.

Meanwhile, Busan has surpassed two million foreign visitors this year, marking an all-time high. With the momentum of the Summit, the city expects to reach three million visitors earlier than projected.

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Contacts for media

Jae-dong CHO                                               Hyeonji  HAN

Director-General                                                           Communication Officer

International Cooperation Team                               Communications and Outreach Team

Phone +82 51 502 2984                                              Phone +82 51 365 2939

Mail     jaedong.cho@aptpo.org                               Mail      hyeonji.han@aptpo.org