Soouth Korea Teams Up With Singapore and More as Global Destinations Race to Create the Ultimate Next-Generation Travel Experience

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South Korea teams up with Singapore and more as global destinations race to create the ultimate next-generation travel experience. South Korea and Singapore are reshaping global travel with innovative destinations, smarter tourism and unforgettable experiences. Meanwhile, global destinations are competing to deliver next-generation travel experiences that combine technology, culture, entertainment and convenience. For travellers, this shift means more immersive journeys and better-connected destinations. Travel And Tour World explores how South Korea, Singapore and other leading destinations are transforming tourism and creating exciting new reasons to travel. Read the full story to discover how these destinations are changing the future of global travel.

Haeundae Enters a New Tourism Era

South Korea has selected Busan’s Haeundae Tourism Special Zone as one of the country’s first Global Tourism Special Zones, creating a major new opportunity for international travellers.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism selected Haeundae and Gyeongju through a national programme designed to spread foreign visitor demand beyond Seoul. Each destination will receive 30 billion won? The official allocation is 30 billion won per destination? No: each receives 3 billion won, or 30억 won, over two years. Together, the two destinations receive 6 billion won in national funding.

The initiative responds to South Korea’s continuing concentration of international visitors around the capital. The government wants regional destinations to develop distinctive brands, stronger visitor services and experiences that encourage tourists to stay longer.

A 6.2-Square-Kilometre Coastal Tourism Hub

For travellers, the scale of the Haeundae project is particularly important.

The designated zone covers approximately 6.2 square kilometres. It connects Haeundae Beach and Songjeong Beach with Gunam-ro, Busan Cinema Center, Nurimaru APEC House, BEXCO and Dalmaji Hill.

This means visitors can combine beaches, entertainment, cultural attractions, business events and shopping without treating them as separate parts of a Busan itinerary.

Haeundae Beach is already one of Busan’s signature attractions, while Songjeong is known for surfing and its quieter coastal atmosphere. Official Busan tourism information describes Songjeong as a major surfing destination with shallow water suitable for beginners.

Daytime and Night-Time Experiences

The new tourism strategy is built around a simple idea: travellers should have reasons to remain in Haeundae throughout the day and into the night.

Plans include daily tourism programmes, weekly night festivals and monthly themed activities around Dalmaji Hill. The area will also pursue international intellectual-property partnerships to develop distinctive tourism content.

For visitors, this could create a more flexible itinerary.

A morning could begin at Haeundae Beach. Travellers could then explore cultural attractions, attend a conference or enjoy coastal activities before experiencing evening events.

The official Busan tourism platform also highlights the Haeundae Blueline Park, including its Beach Train and Sky Capsule. The attraction follows a 4.8-kilometre former railway corridor between Haeundae Mipo, Cheongsapo and Songjeong.

AI Services and Easier Payments

Technology will form another major part of the transformation.

The zone plans to introduce 24-hour unmanned AI tourism information centres and smart payment services for foreign visitors. The national programme also calls for open transport-payment systems and better use of tourism data.

These improvements could be valuable for overseas travellers who face language or payment difficulties.

The programme also plans to use intelligent CCTV technology to analyse visitor concentrations. Authorities can use that information to improve crowd management and tourism safety.

Better Accommodation and Longer Stays

The project is not focused only on attractions.

Authorities plan to establish a cooperation agreement with local hotels and introduce a certification system linked to accommodation businesses. The objective is to encourage more reliable visitor experiences while addressing concerns over sudden accommodation-price increases during major events.

A personalised checkout system is also planned to encourage visitors to extend their time in the area.

For travellers, the overall direction is significant. Haeundae is being developed not simply as a beach destination, but as a longer-stay coastal tourism, MICE, shopping and leisure hub.

Why Travellers Should Watch Haeundae

The official tourism strategy gives international visitors several reasons to place Haeundae higher on future Busan itineraries.

The area combines major beaches, surfing, coastal rail experiences, convention facilities, cultural venues and night tourism. Songjeong also provides a different atmosphere from the busier Haeundae Beach, while official Busan tourism information highlights year-round coastal experiences.

With 6 billion won in combined national funding for Haeundae and Gyeongju, South Korea is using the programme to build stronger regional tourism destinations.

For global travellers, Haeundae’s transformation could make an already popular Busan district more convenient, more connected and more rewarding to explore across multiple days.

Countries Creating Tourism Destinations Similar to South Korea’s Haeundae Global Tourism Zone

South Korea’s decision to develop Haeundae as a Global Tourism Special Zone reflects a much larger international tourism trend. Governments are increasingly creating concentrated tourism districts that combine attractions, infrastructure, technology, accommodation, events and sustainability. The objective is no longer simply to attract visitors. Countries increasingly want travellers to stay longer, spend more locally and explore several experiences within one destination.

The development of Haeundae as South Korea’s first Global Tourism Special Zone reflects a wider international shift. Governments are increasingly moving beyond traditional destination marketing and investing directly in tourism districts, infrastructure, technology, sustainability, events and longer visitor stays. Several countries are pursuing comparable approaches, although their programmes differ in scale and objectives.

1. United Arab Emirates: Building Integrated and Smart Tourism Destinations

The United Arab Emirates has one of the most ambitious national approaches to integrated tourism development. Its Tourism Strategy 2031 aims to raise tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED 450 billion, attract AED 100 billion in additional tourism investment and reach 40 million hotel guests annually. The strategy also seeks to strengthen a unified tourism identity while developing specialised tourism products across the seven emirates. The UAE’s National Tourism Charter takes this approach further by coordinating federal and emirate-level efforts to develop destinations and tourism products while encouraging sustainable investment. Technology is another major similarity with Haeundae. UAE authorities are developing national tourism data systems and using artificial intelligence, data analytics and digital infrastructure to improve visitor services and destination management. New tourism projects planned for 2026 focus on diversification, digital transformation and sustainability. For travellers, the result is a destination model where Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and other emirates can offer different experiences while remaining part of a coordinated national tourism ecosystem. This resembles Haeundae’s effort to combine beaches, entertainment, business tourism, smart services and longer-stay experiences within one connected tourism zone.

2. Singapore: Turning Events, Technology and Experiences Into Tourism Growth

Singapore provides another strong comparison because it has built tourism around carefully managed destination experiences rather than relying on a single attraction. The Singapore Tourism Board reported 16.9 million international visitor arrivals in 2025, up 2.3% from 2024. Tourism receipts reached S$23.9 billion during January to September 2025, an increase of 6.5% year on year. Mainland China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia and India were the five largest visitor markets. Singapore also uses major events, entertainment and MICE tourism to generate reasons for visitors to travel at different times of the year. In 2024, the country welcomed 16.5 million visitors and generated record tourism receipts of S$29.8 billion. The Singapore Tourism Board highlighted global entertainment acts, Formula 1 and major business events as important tourism drivers. Technology is equally important. Singapore has developed tourism data and analytics tools that allow tourism businesses to understand visitor trends, refine marketing and improve commercial decisions. This is comparable with Haeundae’s planned AI tourism information centres, smart payment services and data-based visitor management. For international tourists, Singapore demonstrates how food, shopping, entertainment, business events, technology and neighbourhood experiences can be combined into one highly accessible urban tourism product.

3. Saudi Arabia: Creating Entirely New Tourism Destinations

Saudi Arabia is pursuing tourism development on a substantially larger scale through Vision 2030. The country surpassed its original target of attracting 100 million domestic and international visitors, reaching that milestone ahead of schedule, and has subsequently raised its ambition to 150 million visitors by 2030. The Saudi Tourism Authority also highlights the expansion of the e-visa programme to 66 countries and the pilot of an AI tourism assistant called Sarah. Saudi Arabia is developing destinations such as AlUla, while simultaneously expanding cultural tourism, luxury hospitality, entertainment and major international events. Government reporting shows that the country welcomed 106 million visitors in 2023, including 27.4 million international visitors, while tourism arrivals increased sharply compared with 2019. The country’s approach is similar to Haeundae because tourism development is being treated as an integrated destination-building exercise. However, Saudi Arabia operates at a much larger geographic and investment scale. Travellers can increasingly combine heritage, desert landscapes, cultural attractions, luxury resorts and major events within one national tourism journey. Digital visas, AI assistance and new accommodation capacity are also intended to make these emerging destinations easier for international visitors to access.

4. Japan: Spreading Visitors Beyond the Biggest Tourism Gateways

Japan is taking a different but highly relevant approach by encouraging visitors to explore more regions and remain longer. The country recorded approximately 42.68 million international visitors in 2025, its first year above 40 million, while inbound tourism spending reached approximately ¥9.5 trillion, both setting records. Japan’s tourism authorities are increasingly interested in regional tourism because concentrated demand in major destinations can create congestion while other communities receive fewer international visitors. The government has also developed initiatives targeting digital nomads and longer-stay visitors. Japan introduced an international remote-worker residence framework in 2024, while the Tourism Agency has supported regional model projects designed to attract digital nomads, increase local consumption and generate wider economic benefits. Japan also measures visitor behaviour and spending at national and regional levels through its International Visitor Survey, allowing authorities to understand what international travellers do and spend across prefectures. This approach parallels Haeundae’s focus on longer stays, differentiated experiences and smarter visitor management. For travellers, it creates opportunities to move beyond Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka toward regional destinations offering food, nature, culture, wellness and local experiences.

5. Portugal: Making Sustainability Part of Destination Development

Portugal is building its next tourism phase around sustainability, regional development and long-term destination management. Tourism Portugal began developing its Tourism Strategy 2035 in 2025 as the successor to Tourism Strategy 2027. The new framework is being developed with public and private tourism partners across Portugal’s regions, reflecting an effort to coordinate tourism development geographically rather than concentrating attention only on the country’s most famous cities. Portugal is also strengthening nature tourism through its National Nature Tourism Programme, coordinated by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests with Tourism Portugal. The programme promotes tourism in protected and classified areas while linking visitor activity with ecosystem conservation and local development. Experiences meeting sustainability principles can participate in the Natural.PT brand. This provides an important comparison with Haeundae because both approaches recognise that modern tourism destinations need more than attractions. They require coordinated services, environmental responsibility and products that encourage visitors to experience a place more deeply. For international travellers, Portugal’s model offers coastal cities, historic communities, protected landscapes and nature-based experiences while attempting to balance tourism growth with conservation and local benefits.

What These Models Mean for Global Travellers

These five countries demonstrate that Haeundae’s transformation is part of a broader global movement. The UAE emphasises integrated smart destinations, Singapore combines events with technology and MICE tourism, Saudi Arabia is creating major new tourism ecosystems, Japan is dispersing visitors toward regional communities, and Portugal is placing sustainability at the centre of destination planning.

For travellers, the biggest change is the emergence of destinations designed around complete journeys rather than isolated attractions. Beaches are being connected with nightlife. Cultural sites are being linked with technology. Business districts are becoming leisure destinations. Nature tourism is being integrated with local economies.

Haeundae therefore represents one version of a global tourism strategy increasingly focused on longer stays, higher visitor value, smarter services, regional development and distinctive experiences. For tourists planning future international trips, these destinations offer a useful glimpse into how travel may become more connected, personalised and experience-driven in the years ahead.

Conclusion

The global tourism landscape is changing rapidly as South Korea teams up with Singapore and more global destinations to shape the next-generation travel experience. From smart tourism and digital services to immersive culture, sustainability and longer stays, these destinations are creating more meaningful journeys for international travellers. South Korea and Singapore are leading an exciting shift, while other tourism powerhouses are introducing their own innovative ideas. Ultimately, this competition benefits travellers with more choices, better experiences and smarter destinations. Travel And Tour World urges readers to follow these emerging tourism trends as the future of global travel becomes more connected, personalised and unforgettable.