7 Bridges, 1 Loop: How Busan Is Building a Global Cycling Icon

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Busan is teaming up with the travel industry to turn its massive sea-bridge bicycle tour into a global tourism experience. City officials plan to elevate Busan’s brand with overnight, activity-focused offerings that blend sport and sightseeing.

On the afternoon of the 28th, Busan said it will sign a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Association of Travel Agencies in the City Hall International Protocol Room to ensure the Seven Bridge Tour’s success. Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-deok and KATA Chairman Lee Jin-seok are scheduled to attend.

The Seven Bridge Tour links four of Busan’s signature sea bridges, two undersea roadways, and one tunnel into a single loop for cyclists. It’s the nation’s only large-scale, noncompetitive event of this kind. Organizers say last year’s inaugural edition drew strong participation and proved the route’s appeal as a tourism product.

The MOU is focused on building an interagency cooperation system as organizers prepare for the event slated for September 20. Both parties will collaborate across the board — from joint promotion and marketing to developing tour-linked travel packages and sharing key information. They plan to leverage travel-industry networks to grow overseas participation and formalize stay-based tourism models that combine lodging with curated local experiences.

The city aims to grow the Seven Bridge Tour into a global sports-tourism brand rather than just a one-off event. Officials intend to pair the route’s dramatic coastal and bridge scenery with travel products designed to attract more international visitors.

Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-deok said, “This agreement will help ensure the successful staging of the Seven Bridge Tour and put Busan’s city brand on the global map. By linking overseas participant recruitment with stay-based tourism packages, we will make sports tourism a driver of local economic revitalization.”