Naju City, located in Gwangju, is preparing to transform into a stay-type tourist city centered around the Yeongsan River, integrating Juksan Weir, Jiseokcheon, and Naju Lake.
According to Naju City, on October 26 and 30, department heads gathered at city hall for an interim report meeting on the 'Basic Plan for the Yeongsan River Region Tourism (Leisure) Resource Development Project,' where they discussed the basic concepts for tourism development in each region and future project directions.
The project aims to organically connect historical, cultural, and ecological tourism resources scattered throughout the region, enhancing tourism competitiveness and increasing visitor stay times.
The basic plan focuses on four key areas: the Juksan Weir restoration area, the Yeongsan River waterfront area, the Jiseokcheon area, and the Naju Lake area.
Naju City plans to discover tourism resources that reflect the natural environment and historical-cultural characteristics of each area, aiming to create a tourism belt that encompasses the entire city.
In particular, the Yeongsan River waterfront area has been designated as a core axis for developing a new landmark for Naju tourism.
The city plans to establish a pedestrian pathway connecting Naju Station (KTX), Naju Comprehensive Sports Park, Dongseom, and the Yeongsan River Garden, along with specialized tourism facilities such as pedestrian bridges, observation decks, and skywalks that offer views of the Yeongsan River.
This initiative aims to create new tourist attractions where visitors can enjoy the riverside scenery, sunrises, and sunsets, while improving transportation convenience between major tourist spots like Naju Station and the Yeongsan River Garden.
Naju City intends to expand stay-type tourism content, encouraging visitors to linger around the Yeongsan River for leisure and tourism, while solidifying the foundation for the Yeongsan River Garden to become a national garden.
To concretize the waterfront landmark project, Naju City plans to prepare a basic plan by December and apply for changes to the second phase of the Southern Region Comprehensive Tourism Development Project to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism by March 2027.
The project will be gradually implemented with the goal of starting construction in 2028, following the approval of the project changes, securing national funding, and completing related administrative procedures.
The Southern Region Comprehensive Tourism Development Project targets Busan, Jeonnam-Gwangju, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam, and is set to be carried out from 2024 to 2033.
Naju City plans to enhance the competitiveness of Yeongsan River tourism resources in line with national comprehensive tourism development policies.
Additionally, the tourism development projects in the Juksan Weir and Naju Lake areas, which include the Namdo Independence Army Theme Park, will be actively proposed for inclusion in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's 'Global K-Tourism Development Plan.'
The ministry is reviewing K-tourism development proposals submitted by regions to establish a vision and action plan for ultra-regional tourism development.
For the remaining projects, including the Jiseokcheon area, Naju City will explore various funding options, including government grant projects and conversion projects, and will implement them gradually based on priority and feasibility.
During the interim report meeting, Naju City will incorporate feedback from relevant departments into the basic plan, carefully reviewing the specialized direction for each area, interconnectivity of projects, economic viability, and funding possibilities to develop an actionable tourism development plan.
Yoon Byeong-tae, the mayor of Naju City, stated, “The Yeongsan River is the most important tourism resource that connects Naju's history, culture, and ecology, and it is a key space for enhancing the region's future competitiveness. We will build a differentiated tourism competitiveness unique to Naju by establishing a tourism belt that reflects the characteristics of the four areas while connecting them.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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