The South Korean government is taking steps to address the phenomenon of foreign tourists predominantly visiting Seoul by establishing five regional tourism zones centered around local airports. The initiative aims to promote unique tourism content that can only be experienced in these areas, rather than simply expanding administrative boundaries or infrastructure.
On September 10, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced the confirmation of five regional international airports—Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Yangyang, and Muan—as gateways for the new tourism zones. A total of 935 billion won (approximately $700 million) will be invested next year, with 187 billion won allocated specifically for the development of specialized tourism content. Additional funds will support overseas marketing (180 billion won), improvements to transportation and payment convenience (149 billion won), and airport and port linkage initiatives (143 billion won).
The inbound tourism market has seen remarkable growth, with 12.8 million foreign visitors recorded from January to July this year, marking the highest level ever. However, the tendency for most foreign tourists to remain in the Seoul metropolitan area has been a persistent challenge, primarily due to the long travel times to regional attractions. It can take four to five hours to reach major tourist destinations after arriving at Incheon or Gimpo airports, creating barriers to the distribution of visitors across the country.
The Ministry's focus on regional airports as a solution to invigorate local tourism stems from the potential to allow foreign tourists to enter directly into these areas, bypassing the inconvenience of traveling through the capital region.
Data from the Korea Tourism Organization, presented at the recent '2nd Korea Tourism Data Seminar' on August 27, revealed that 20.7% of foreign tourists who visited South Korea in the first half of this year used regional airports such as Cheongju, Daegu, and Gimhae. This means that one in five visitors entered through these airports, with Cheongju Airport experiencing a remarkable 109.1% increase in arrivals compared to the same period last year.
To transform this positive trend into explosive demand, the key to success lies in developing differentiated regional tourism content. There needs to be compelling reasons for foreign tourists to fly into regional airports and then travel to other areas, as generic tourist attractions will not satisfy the expectations of today's discerning global travelers.
Kim Han-kyu, head of the Korea Visit Year Promotion Preparation Team, emphasized the importance of 'killer content' for regional tourism activation during the seminar. He suggested that instead of promoting all tourism content simultaneously, it would be more effective to focus on competitive offerings to create successful case studies that can then be expanded to other regions.
The Ministry also recognizes the significance of unique regional tourism content and will concentrate on developing killer content that connects gateway cities (airports) with surrounding cities that possess specialized tourism resources. This includes promoting K-pop concerts and other Hallyu tourism initiatives, as well as highlighting stay-oriented content tailored to each region's characteristics.
For instance, the southeastern region, combining 'K-Cultural Heritage' and 'Urban Marine' experiences, will focus on the Gimhae Airport tourism zone, which integrates Busan's K-culture and urban marine and leisure content with Ulsan's industrial tourism, Geoje and Tongyeong's scenic coastal views and wellness offerings, and Gyeongju's historical resources. The Daegu Airport tourism zone will synergize Daegu's medical and modern historical tourism with Andong's Confucian cultural tourism and Gyeongju's Silla historical tourism. Notably, Gimhae and Daegu, which are physically close, will be developed as a continuous travel route linked through Gyeongju.
The Cheongju Airport tourism zone will leverage the historical significance of Baekje and traditional culture. It aims to create a massive historical and cultural tourism zone representing the inland region by combining Cheongju's cultural, artistic, and shopping infrastructure with UNESCO World Heritage sites in Gongju, Buyeo, and Iksan, as well as Jeonju's traditional cultural resources. The well-developed transportation network also allows for the expansion of entry and exit routes to the southwestern region.
The Yangyang Airport tourism zone will focus on 'comprehensive sports tourism' that encompasses mountains, beaches, culture, and sports. It will highlight Yangyang's Seoraksan National Park, known for K-mountaineering, along with surfing on the East Coast, the legacy of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, K-content filming locations, and marine tourism resources in Sokcho.
The Muan Airport tourism zone will be based on a triangular belt connecting air and sea (cruise) with inland transportation (KTX). It aims to elevate the southwestern region as a stay-oriented tourism zone by uniting the 'Namdo culinary culture' as a common resource with tourism in Muan and Mokpo along the west coast, cultural and artistic offerings in Gwangju, and island and leisure resources in Yeosu.
The Ministry aims to improve transportation and shopping infrastructure and discover attractive content to achieve a target of 30 million inbound visitors and 5 million arrivals at regional airports by 2029.
Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young stated, "The current structure of inbound tourism centered on the metropolitan area is insufficient to reach the goal of 40 million visitors. We will focus on establishing a 'golden route' for inbound tourism centered around regional airports to enhance our capacity and discover new tourism attractions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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