culture minister-regional tourism

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will invest hundreds of millions of dollars to develop regional tourism hubs around provincial airports in order to disperse foreign visitors beyond the capital and attract 30 million annual inbound travelers in coming years, the culture minister said Wednesday.

The move comes as the cumulative number of foreign visitors this year surpassed last year's record annual total of 18.94 million on Tuesday. The government expects the figure to top 20 million in November and reach its year-end target of 23 million.

Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Chae Hwi-young said the current tourism structure, where more than 80 percent of inbound travelers stay within the greater Seoul area, makes sustainable growth for the industry difficult.

He emphasized that revitalizing regional tourism is the primary condition for welcoming more foreign visitors -- 30 million, and eventually 40 million a year.

To support the shift, the government proposed a tourism budget of 1.76 trillion won (US$1.31 billion) for next year, a 19 percent increase from this year's 1.48 trillion won.

At the core of the plan is a pan-ministerial project worth 410 billion won to establish regional tourism zones -- dubbed "golden routes" -- centered on five provincial airports in Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan and Yangyang. The initiative will connect local attractions with the airport hubs while offering regulatory exemptions and supporting the trial use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Authorities also plan to develop tour programs featuring local cuisine, traditional markets, K-pop concerts and drama filming locations.

To tackle accommodation shortages and inconvenient transportation in provincial areas, the government will build an integrated lodging platform and provide loans for constructing high-end hotels in regional hubs.

The government also aims to boost high-value business travel by launching an AI-based platform for international conferences and leveraging major international events the country is set to host next year -- including World Youth Day in Seoul and the Chungcheong Summer World University Games -- for tourism marketing.

"As an 'irreplaceable travel destination,' South Korea is making thorough preparations to welcome 30 million and 40 million visitors a year," Chae said. He added that the government will manage qualitative growth alongside visitor numbers while actively responding to concerns about overtourism so that regional tourism can firmly drive local economies.

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