The National Tourism Strategy Meeting has been restructured to operate under the President's authority instead of the Prime Minister's, leading to significant changes in its composition and operational methods. The President will serve as the chair, while the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism will act as the secretary. The Ministers of Trade and Employment will also join the meeting, expanding participation to 15 ministries.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on October 20 that the revised regulations regarding the composition and operation of the National Tourism Strategy Meeting were approved during a Cabinet meeting. The amendments will take effect on October 29.
Previously, the chair of the strategy meeting was elevated from the Prime Minister to the President following amendments to the Tourism Basic Act in April. This comprehensive revision aims to strengthen public-private cooperation in tourism promotion.
Tourism intersects with various government sectors, including immigration, aviation, and maritime affairs. At an expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting chaired by the President in February, various ministries, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Justice (for immigration convenience), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (for local airport development), and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (for cruise readiness), presented their agendas. With the President now directly leading the meetings, the coordination of tourism policies across the government is expected to improve.
The membership will change as well. With the shift to presidential oversight, the head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination will be removed, and the Senior Secretary for Tourism Policy from the Presidential Office will be included. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism aims to enhance its role as the control tower for national policy direction.
Additionally, the number of participating ministries will increase. The Minister of Trade, overseeing the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) tourism sector, and the Minister of Employment, responsible for workforce training and job creation in tourism, will join, bringing the total to 15 ministries.
The role of the secretary will also be elevated. The secretary position, previously held by the second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, will now be filled by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The minister will ensure that discussions from the strategy meeting translate into actionable policies.
The previous meeting format, which discussed agenda items, will be restructured into a 'practical coordination meeting.' The Senior Secretary for Tourism Policy will chair this meeting, with deputy-level officials from relevant ministries participating to enhance effective inter-ministerial coordination.
The second vice minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will lead collaboration with local governments. The establishment of a 'Regional Tourism Promotion Council' will facilitate the collection of local government opinions and cooperation, with the second vice minister serving as chair and deputy heads of regional governments as members. The council chair will report collected opinions to the strategy meeting.
The revised regulations also include provisions for forming an advisory group of up to 20 tourism policy and industry experts. The Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism will appoint experts in specific areas such as inbound tourism, regional tourism, tourism infrastructure, and the tourism industry to provide advice to the strategy meeting. The term for committee members will be one year.
The scope of review and coordination for the strategy meeting will include 'the establishment of tourism promotion plans and evaluation of implementation results.' This aims to create a feedback system to assess the performance of each ministry and incorporate it into future plans. With the President overseeing the meetings, the implementation of policies is expected to improve. The strategy meeting will be held twice a year, with the frequency adjustable by the chair as needed.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young stated, "Through the strategy meeting led by the President, we have established a tailored public-private partnership for tourism that brings together various ministries, the private sector, and local governments. This comprehensive revision will serve as a strong policy foundation for the tourism industry, which is a national growth strategy and a breakthrough for regional decline."
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.