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This publication was the first to identify in several articles a new type of destination tourism, the niche of “Film Festival Tourism” and provided examples while specifying the criteria making it a profitable venture. The topic was integrated into the annual conference arranged by the World Tourism Organization, a United Nations agency, held this September in Busan, Korea, location of the Pusan International Film Festival.

The role of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) and the possible development of a film industry in Busan and the role international film festival tourism could play was part of the conference proceedings. That Busan could indeed become a tourist venue appealing to international visitors using existing attractions such as the Pusan International Film Festival as a key attraction and additional resources in the marine, convention and other areas was questioned by several panelists.

With respect to the film area, the PIFF does draw a large number of professionals and has a growing audience since PIFF has firmly placed Korea on the international film festival circuit map. Yet international PIFF professional participants come for the limited period of the festival only and rarely return for other visits. The city does not seem to have a significant film production and post-production industry with its related businesses, notwithstanding the 2004 designation of Busan’s film and visual arts sector as a core industry. Further, it was not evident that Busan has the necessary ‘soft’ infrastructure to develop a significant film industry, including trained man power, instructional institutions etc. It is noteworthy that a presentation on knowledge and creative capita suggested that Busan has no significant advantage over other Korean cities with respect to culture workers.

With respect to International Film Festival Tourism it is doubtful that Busan could attract international tourists for the PIFF since Busan seems to be lacking the other characteristics such upscale tourism requires. As the reader may recall from prior articles, international film festival tourism presupposes that the venue of the festival offers to the affluent well educated tourists attractions in addition to an outstanding program. This includes but is not restricted superb accommodations boarding on luxury, renowned culinary attractions, historic sites, museums and other cultural attractions as well as a welcoming local population.

Busan is probably an ideal tourist destination for Koreans from the region who frequent the beaches and other attractions it offers. Discussions with the few foreign tourists encountered reveal that Busan faces an uphill battle as an international tourist destination. There are problems of communication. Even in upscale hotels, it is difficult to find employees (including executives) who are fluent in English nor are there many public signs are in English. Unless one uses the subway it is difficult to get from one part of the city to another without getting stuck in the traffic, often between container trucks. Though Busan is the second largest city in Korea there seem to be very few cultural institutions or museums that could appeal to foreigners. The Pokcheon Museum is antiquated and has no English descriptions attached to the exhibits. There is also a sense that Koreans are not too enthusiastic about foreigners, a view shared by an Asian business publication claiming “Foreign investors have massively sold shares over the past months because of Korea’s anti foreigner sentiment”.


As an international film festival the PIFF is a success story and has become a very important international venue and market for films. The number of films screened rose from 169 in 1996, the first year of operation to 307 in 2006 with a budget that more than tripled, an increase prompted by the attempt to enhance the city’s image as a film and visual arts center. Yet the very success of the Pusan International Film Festival implies that there is no need to invest in film tourism to attract more visitors to this port city better known for its economic dynamism than for cultural attractions.

Claus Mueller, New York Correspondent
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