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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Ellie Kim] Busan is launching a large-scale crackdown on accommodation price gouging ahead of next month’s major K-pop event, aiming to prevent unfair practices and protect its image as a global tourism destination.
The city government announced on May 13 that it will conduct a joint inspection of lodging facilities in preparation for the “BTS World Tour Arirang in Busan,” scheduled for June 12–13.
The move follows a recent task force meeting on the event, with authorities anticipating a surge in both domestic and international visitors. The inspections will focus on preventing sharp price increases, unjustified reservation cancellations, and other sources of tourist inconvenience.
The joint task force includes city departments, the Fair Trade Commission, the Korea Consumer Agency, the fire and disaster headquarters, and all 16 district offices. Priority will be given to accommodations that have received complaints through tourism inconvenience reporting centers.
Key inspection items include unregistered lodging operations, compliance with posted pricing, adherence to advertised rates, and fire safety management. Authorities may also coordinate with the National Tax Service to investigate potential tax violations if necessary.
The city will pay particular attention to excessive pricing tied to the event and unilateral booking cancellations without valid reasons. It will also promote the government’s upcoming pre-reporting system for accommodation pricing.
To ease accommodation shortages, Busan plans to operate public lodging facilities from June 11 to 13, including youth training centers and temple stay programs, accommodating up to 400 foreign visitors at relatively affordable rates.
The city has also designated April through June as a “special tourism readiness inspection period,” conducting on-site checks of tourist facilities and services. Meanwhile, the Busan Tourism Organization will hold a hospitality campaign at Busan Station aimed at attracting 1 million foreign visitors early.
Local tourism stakeholders view the BTS concert as a major opportunity to accelerate post-pandemic recovery but warn that recurring controversies over accommodation pricing could damage Busan’s global brand image.
Alphabiz Ellie Kim 인턴기자(press@alphabiz.co.kr)
