The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sept. 10 announced its selection of five tourism zones with international airports to connect the latter with nearby tourist cities. Shown is Yangyang International Airport in Yangyang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. (Korea Airports Corp.)
By Margareth Theresia
Five tourism zones in the provinces with international airports have been designated to connect nearby cities for travel under the goal of creating a regional tourism ecosystem spanning the entire visitor journey from arrival and transportation to lodging and experiences.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Sept. 10 announced this plan to stimulate visits by foreign tourists to regions outside of the Seoul metropolitan region.
The Gimhae International Airport zone comprises Busan; Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province; Ulsan; and Geoje and Tongyeong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province. That of Daegu International Airport connects Daegu, Gyeongju and Andong, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
Both areas will be developed as an integrated region with Gyeongju as the connecting hub.
The zone of Cheongju International Airport links Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province; Gongju and Buyeo-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province; and Iksan and Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do Province, highlighting the history and traditional culture of the ancient Baekje Kingdom (18 B.C.-A.D. 660).
That of Yangyang International Airport spans Yangyang-gun County, Gangneung and Sokcho, Gangwon-do Province, combining attractions such as Seoraksan Mountain and surfing at Korean content filming locations, heritage from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics and marine tourism along the eastern coast.
The Muan International Airport zone, under the form of a "tri-port," connects Muan-gun County, Mokpo and Yeosu, Jeollanam-do, with the former city of Gwangju by air, rail and sea. The plan is to develop the region into an extended stay destination through the integration of southern Hansik (traditional cuisine) with west coast tourism, culture and arts, and island and leisure activities.
Based on the central government's 2027 budget proposal, the ministry will invest KRW 93.5 billion in overseas promotion, attract international flights and cruise ships, raise transportation and payment convenience, and develop specialized tourism content.
Inter-city public transportation within each zone will also be improved, while an integrated tourism pass combining mass transit payments with discounts at travel attractions will be introduced.
"From the perspective of visitors, we need golden routes for inbound tourism centered on regional airports to encourage them to explore the provinces," Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Chae Hwi-young said. "Through the development of tourism clusters, we will usher in by 2029 an era of 30 million international arrivals overall and five million in regional areas."
margareth@korea.kr
