Ulsan, the Industrial Capital, Heats Up Again... 2025 Ulsan Industrial Festival Reignites the Local Economy

85.2% Visitor Satisfaction... Tourism Spending Up 3.1%
Ulsan’s Signature Festival as the AI and Industrial Capital

Ulsan City announced that the "2025 Ulsan Industrial Festival" not only fostered unity among citizens and reinforced the city’s identity, but also achieved the significant result of revitalizing the local economy, which had been stagnant.

This year's festival was held across Ulsan for four days from October 16 to 19, serving as an opportunity for citizens to share the identity of Ulsan as an industrial capital and its vision for the future.

According to an analysis of BC Card consumption data by the Economic Trend Analysis Center at the Ulsan Research Institute, tourism-related sales in Ulsan during the festival period increased by 3.1% compared to the same period last year.

This is particularly notable because, while overall card sales in Ulsan decreased by 13.5% during this period, only the tourism sector (accommodation and food) saw an increase, demonstrating that the festival had a tangible effect on revitalizing the local economy.

In particular, spending by visitors from other regions rose by 15.9%. Among neighboring areas, Gyeongbuk saw the largest increase at 18%, followed by Busan at 14.7% and Gyeongnam at 13.6%, highlighting the festival’s significant positive impact on attracting visitors from outside Ulsan.

The fireworks festival, which was postponed twice due to adverse weather conditions and finally held on October 26 at Gangdong Mongdol Beach in Buk-gu, also contributed to energizing the local economy.

On the day of the fireworks festival, total consumption in Ulsan increased by 4.3% compared to the previous year. By region, Buk-gu, where the fireworks festival was held, recorded the highest increase at 7.1%, followed by Jung-gu at 5.7%, Nam-gu at 5.6%, and Ulju-gun at 4.1%.

According to a survey conducted during the festival (with 1,147 respondents), the largest proportion of visitors were in their 30s (26.7%) and family groups (45.2%). The most common length of stay was 3 to 4 hours (14.7%), confirming that the industrial festival has established itself as a festival where people stay and enjoy daily life.

Overall satisfaction was 85.2%, up 5 percentage points from the previous year. The intention to revisit remained high at 82%.

The main factors contributing to satisfaction were performance programs (24.9%) and food & rest areas (24.7%), while the main sources of dissatisfaction were transportation and parking (33.9%) and publicity and information (17.7%).

As improvement measures for the future, Ulsan City is considering securing temporary parking lots around the festival site, expanding shuttle bus services, and strengthening the on-site information system based on QR codes.

Mayor Kim Doo-gyeom said, "I would like to thank the citizens for their great interest in the industrial festival," adding, "We will develop it into Korea’s leading festival, where industry, culture, and citizens come together."

Ulsan City Hall.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.