Busan vs Fukuoka
Busan leads Fukuoka by 7 points on the TRAIL Index, 86 to 79. Busan grades better on 5 measures, Fukuoka on 2; the same 37 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- TRAIL Index: Busan 86, Fukuoka 79
- OECD: Busan 81, Fukuoka 76
- UN Tourism: Busan 90, Fukuoka 87
- UNDRR: Busan 76, Fukuoka 78
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Busan 88, Fukuoka 71
- Economy and jobs: Busan 92, Fukuoka 83
- Climate and hazards: Busan 60, Fukuoka 67
- Water and environment: Busan 94, Fukuoka 100
- Community and housing: Busan 100, Fukuoka 63
- Access and continuity: Busan 79, Fukuoka 88
Where Busan is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 18.9 % of international arrivals or nights (Busan Metropolitan City & Busan Tourism Organization (via The Korea Times), 2025). Between 15 and 20: grade 3/4.
- Average length of stay: 6 nights per visitor (Busan Metropolitan City (reported by The Korea Times), 2024). At or above 3.5: grade 4/4.
- Income per head: 47,252 GDP per capita, USD PPP (Statistics Korea / Regional GDP Accounts, 2024). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
- Tropical nights: 86.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 60 and 100: grade 1/4.
- Rent growth: 2.6 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Korea Real Estate Board cited in real estate market reporting, Jan–Jul 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.
Where Fukuoka is stronger
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80.4 % average annual occupancy (Fukuoka City Economy, Tourism and Culture Bureau, 'Fukuoka City Tourism & MICE 2025 Edition' (福岡市の観光・MICE 2025年版), 2024). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
- Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Fukuoka City Government, 'Guide to Accommodation Tax in Fukuoka City', 2024–2026). Grade 3/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- South Korea: #12 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- Japan: #1 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Busan in full · Fukuoka in full
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