The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it promulgated an amendment to the Tourism Promotion Act on April 28 that introduces a performance management system for subsidy-supported projects run by local governments. The revised law will take effect Oct. 29.
The amendment calls for a comprehensive management framework covering the full project cycle, from planning through completion and post-completion. The ministry said the move reflects a push to address repeated concerns raised during the National Assembly’s annual settlement reviews about weak performance and insufficient management of regional tourism projects.
◆ Tighter reviews for projects of 10 billion won or more; tailored consulting for delays
The ministry outlined three main changes.
First, projects with total costs of 10 billion won or more will be designated as priority evaluation targets. Authorities will assess implementation results and analyze economic effects, then feed identified problems back into the projects with recommended fixes.
Second, the government will build a “Tourism Development Integrated Information System” to track the status of local projects receiving national subsidies, including administrative histories and lists of underperforming projects.
Third, projects running at least 30% behind schedule compared with their plans will be eligible for tailored consulting by experts. The ministry said the support will diagnose causes of delays and offer solutions by area, including legal issues, construction, content planning and facility operations, to help projects finish on time.
◆ Higher bar for subsidies; dedicated agency to be named within the year
Requirements for receiving national subsidies will also be tightened.
Local governments seeking national funding will be required to submit documents proving they have secured project sites and completed reviews for local fiscal investment and loans.
To help the new system take hold, the ministry said it plans to designate a dedicated agency within this year and prepare detailed implementation measures.
Kang Jeong-won, director general for tourism policy at the ministry, said the performance management system would reduce similar or overlapping investments and help projects be completed on schedule.
“It will improve the efficiency of fiscal investment and strengthen regional tourism competitiveness,” Kang said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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