Airalo and Busan Metropolitan City Sign Letter of Intent to Boost Tourism Innovation and Provide Free eSIMs to International Visitors
BUSAN, South Korea, March 16, 2026 - Airalo, the world’s first unicorn in the eSIM industry, today announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Busan Metropolitan City to support tourism innovation and enhance digital connectivity for international visitors.
Under the agreement, Airalo and Busan City will collaborate on initiatives aimed at fostering tourism-focused startups, improving the travel experience for international visitors, and strengthening Busan’s global tourism ecosystem.
The signing ceremony took place at Busan City Hall, South Korea and was attended by Busan Mayor Park Heong-Joon and Melvin Ng, Senior Director, APAC at Airalo.
Supporting Global Travelers and Tourism Innovation
As part of the partnership, Airalo will provide 100,000 free eSIM voucher codes to international visitors traveling to Busan. The two parties will also introduce Busan-exclusive eSIM packages designed to help travelers stay connected easily and affordably during their visit.
The collaboration also includes support for regional tourism startups, with the two organizations working together on initiatives such as global marketing programs, international market expansion, and technology support for eSIM-enabled services.
In addition, Airalo will offer special eSIM discount codes for Busan citizens traveling abroad and for young professionals from Busan pursuing opportunities overseas.
Enhancing the Travel Experience Through Connectivity
The partnership will also support foreign participants attending international events hosted in Busan, who may receive free or specially discounted eSIM services. Airalo and Busan City plan to jointly launch marketing and promotional campaigns aimed at increasing eSIM adoption among international travelers visiting the city.
To further support tourism policy development, Airalo will also provide aggregated insights on international visitor connectivity, including usage trends by nationality, activation timing, and data consumption patterns.
Leadership Perspectives
Melvin NG, Senior Director, Asia-Pacific at Airalo, said:
“Busan is a vibrant and globally attractive destination with exceptional natural beauty and cultural experiences. We understand that the number of international visitors to Busan reached 3.64 million in 2025, a 24 percent increase compared with the previous year. This partnership represents Airalo’s first collaboration with a local government in Korea, and we are proud to support Busan’s vision of welcoming five million international visitors annually.”
Busan Mayor Park Heong-Joon added:
“This agreement will not only provide free eSIM services for international visitors to Busan but also offer benefits for Busan citizens traveling abroad. At a time when travel costs are rising globally, these initiatives will help reduce connectivity costs for travelers while strengthening Busan’s competitiveness as an international tourism destination.”
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About Airalo
Airalo, founded in 2019, is the world’s largest travel eSIM platform. Trusted by over 20 million travelers, Airalo offers eSIM packages in 200+ destinations, empowering users to connect to mobile networks worldwide instantly. With a remote team of over 300 people, spanning more than 50 countries, Airalo is committed to making mobile connectivity on the move easier, more affordable, and accessible to all.
Airalo Partners is Airalo's B2B and B2B2C platform, designed to help businesses of all sizes offer Airalo's eSIM solutions to their customers or employees. It provides tailored partnership solutions, including APIs and a Partner Platform, enabling partners to manage and distribute eSIMs, and access data and support.
To learn more about Airalo, please visit www.airalo.com.
To learn more about Airalo Partners, please visit www.partners.airalo.com.