A new index evaluating the appeal of 1,452 domestic festivals using social big data has been released for the first time. The top spot went to the 'Seoul World Fireworks Festival,' which demonstrated overwhelming popularity despite being a one-day event.
On August 11, Yanolja Research, a travel and tourism industry research organization, held a seminar in collaboration with Purdue University's CHRIBA Institute and Kyung Hee University's H&T Analytics Center to announce the 'Korean Festival Appeal Index (NOL Korean Festival Index).'
This seminar was organized to address the 'qualitative limitations' where, despite a surge in the number of festivals and increased budgets, local participation rates and per capita tourism spending have declined. The aim was to explore alternatives to enhance global competitiveness through data-driven objective assessments.
The index was calculated in collaboration with Vibe Company. It involved collecting unstructured data from major social channels such as YouTube, Instagram, and online communities over the past year (from July 2025 to June 2026), excluding promotional articles. An AI sentiment analysis was then applied to derive the final index by combining festival awareness (social mentions at 50%) and appeal (positive evaluation rate at 50%).
The key shift was moving from a supplier-centered evaluation to a consumer-centered assessment that measures both 'how well-known a festival is' and 'how satisfied actual attendees are.'
According to the evaluation results presented by Professor Choi Kyu-wan of Kyung Hee University, the Seoul World Fireworks Festival ranked first overall. It was followed by the 'Jinhae Gunhangje Festival,' which combines cherry blossom views with historical significance, and the 'Chunhyangje Festival,' which received a perfect appeal score of 10. Other festivals like the 'Seoul Lantern Festival' and 'Boryeong Mud Festival' also showed high competitiveness with their standout content.
Notably, it was observed that 'fame' and 'on-site satisfaction' do not always correlate. Music festivals, for instance, had high average awareness but relatively low appeal, indicating a 'high awareness, low appeal' structure.
Among festivals utilizing local specialties or culture, many 'hidden gems' were identified. Festivals like the 'Camellia Flower and Baby Octopus Festival' (ranked 44th in appeal, 100th in awareness) and the 'Sorae Port Festival' (21st in appeal, 61st in awareness) were assessed to have significant growth potential if promotional and branding efforts are strengthened.
Additionally, it was noted that 45% (90 festivals) of the analyzed festivals occur in the fall, raising the need for a seasonal dispersion strategy due to intensified competition among festivals.
Professor Choi emphasized several strategies to invigorate domestic festivals, including: restructuring portfolios centered on differentiated killer content, data-driven targeted promotions, and establishing sustainable operational systems led by private professional organizations. He stated, 'Festivals should not be for everyone but should provide differentiated value to target customers.'
Jang Soo-cheong, head of Yanolja Research, also stressed the need for a paradigm shift from a supplier-centered to a consumer-centered approach, and from a domestic to a global model for the advancement of Korean festivals.
Jang explained, 'The NOL Korean Festival Index goes beyond simple rankings by diagnosing the experiences and emotional appeal that tourists actually feel, showing where each festival has strengths and what needs improvement.'
He added, 'To enhance the global competitiveness of Korean festivals, we must not only showcase Korean culture abroad but also cultivate the ability to attract tourists from around the world to specific regions in Korea where these festivals are held.'
Discussion also arose regarding the government's push for a 'Korean version of Coachella.' Jang suggested, 'Rather than expanding into overseas touring events, we need to root these festivals in specific regions of Korea and continuously build their 'sense of place' so that people from around the world come to Korea to experience them.'
He concluded, 'Global festivals like Coachella, Oktoberfest, and the Edinburgh Fringe have grown into tourism assets that attract people worldwide by deeply rooting themselves in specific regions. Korea should also cultivate world-class K-festivals that can only be experienced by coming to Korea, based on the competitiveness of K-culture.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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