The South Korean government is working to lower barriers for foreign tourists traveling to regional areas by discussing the expansion of international flights at local airports and improvements to transportation and payment services. The initiative aims to distribute the influx of tourists, which is currently concentrated in the capital region, by enhancing the entire travel process from air travel to rail, bus, and taxi services.
On November 2, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held the '3rd Tourism and Transportation Policy Council' at the Government Sejong Center. This council, established in May, is a senior-level forum aimed at addressing inconveniences faced by tourists during their entry and domestic travel.
During the meeting, participants discussed various issues, including the revitalization of regional airports, the activation of open-loop payment systems, improvements to the convenience of rail and bus services for foreign tourists, enhancements to taxi services, better mapping services, and the establishment of tourism brands for stays.
One proposal discussed was to expand international flight operations at regional airports, allowing foreign tourists to enter directly without passing through major gateways like Incheon International Airport. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to increase international flights at regional airports by prioritizing inbound flights carrying tourists and expanding airport slots.
The government also aims to address inconveniences encountered by tourists when traveling from airports to local attractions. Discussions included enhancing payment convenience for foreign visitors using domestic transportation, as well as improving the environments for rail, bus, and taxi services and mapping services.
In February, the government announced measures to promote regional tourism, including the expansion of international routes at local airports. Recently, plans have been proposed to develop regional tourism zones centered around five local airports: Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Muan, and Yangyang.
Despite an increase in foreign tourists, the concentration of visitors in the capital region has prompted this collaboration. According to the Ministry of Culture, more than 80% of foreign visitors to South Korea travel to the capital area. The government expects to reach 23 million foreign tourists this year and believes that expanding regional tourism is essential to achieving a future target of 30 million foreign visitors.
To ensure the ongoing management of tasks identified during the 'Regional Airport-Linked Tourism Activation Cooperation Forum' held in Daegu in April, Gimhae in May, and Yangyang in September, the government plans to hold a comprehensive discussion in December at the National Assembly to gather expert and public opinions. The outcomes will be reflected in the joint project plan for 2027.
Kang Jeong-won, Director of the Tourism Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, stated, "Spreading the record number of inbound tourists across the country is a key task for achieving the goal of 30 million foreign visitors," emphasizing the need to strengthen the connection between tourism content and transportation infrastructure.
Park Jae-soon, Director of the Transportation Logistics Bureau at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, added, "We will increase international flights to allow more foreign tourists to enter regional airports and improve the convenience of transportation from airports to local areas through enhancements in rail, bus, taxi services, and payment environments."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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