Ecotourism City Ulsan, Promotion of the 7th Tourism Development Plan

2022~2026, 2.0888 Trillion Won Invested

Ulsan City Hall.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Ulsan City announced on the 18th the confirmation of the "7th Ulsan Area Tourism Development Plan" with the vision of "an ecological tourism city where marine, mountain, industrial, and historical cultural tourism harmonize, Ulsan."

This announcement is a statutory plan conducted every five years under Article 49 of the Tourism Promotion Act, aimed at promoting regional tourism development.

The plan consists of six major strategies: expanding the Ulsan-style ecological tourism foundation, establishing an optimal smart tourism infrastructure, developing stay-type tourism hubs, discovering unique tourism attractions of the Ulsan area, enhancing recognition of Ulsan as an ecological tourism city, and creating a competitive Ulsan area tourism ecosystem.

The city organized 22 detailed projects across three fields: 11 tourism development projects, 10 tourism promotion projects, and 1 tourism complex project, with 7 projects designated as mid- to long-term tasks.

The total project budget allocated in the 7th Ulsan Area Tourism Development Plan is 2.0888 trillion KRW, with 1.6532 trillion KRW from private capital and 435.6 billion KRW from public funds.

Key projects to expand the Ulsan-style ecological tourism foundation include revitalizing the Taehwa River National Garden, establishing the Taehwa River Water Sports Experience Center, creating the Dalcheon Ironworks Fire Garden, and promoting the Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Special Zone.

To discover Ulsan’s unique tourism attractions, projects such as the development of the Bangudae Petroglyphs as historical tourism resources, the Daewangam Park marine cable car, Onggi Village tourism attraction, Gangdong Coastal Park creation, Bangojin Port tourism fishing port development, and Yeongnam Alps cable car development will be carried out.

For developing stay-type tourism hubs, the Gangdong Tourism Complex project will be implemented, and to establish an optimal smart tourism infrastructure, projects such as creating a smart tourism city, operating smart whale travel vessels, and establishing the Ulsan Tour Pass system will be conducted.

To raise awareness of Ulsan as an ecological tourism city, events like the Taehwa River National Garden Four Seasons Festa Week, establishing the Ulsan New Deal ecological tourism foundation, strengthening marketing for Ulsan Big Baby, and improving tourism environments for vulnerable tourists and companion animals will be promoted.

To create a competitive Ulsan area tourism ecosystem, support will be provided for revitalizing Ulsan-style rural tourism, building a foundation for fair tourism in Ulsan, and strengthening Ulsan experiential tourism capabilities.

As mid- to long-term tasks, the city is considering projects such as creating a marine-centered tourist destination, developing the Ulsan tourism complex, establishing the Seosaeng marine tourism complex, building the Namsan Ulsan Observation Tower, developing the Gangdong Hot Spring District, designating and revitalizing the Hangul historical cultural special zone, and developing religious heritage tourism resources in the Ulsan area.

To ensure smooth implementation of this tourism development plan, the city will establish a promotion system through collaboration with related departments, each district and county, and relevant organizations, and secure annual budgets including national funds.

The plan aims to enhance external recognition of Ulsan as an ecological tourism city through differentiated strategies unique to Ulsan and changes in the tourism environment such as the opening of the Donghae Nambu Line.

A city official stated, “We will expand a competitive tourism reception system and build a tourism convenience infrastructure centered on smart tourism foundations to create an opportunity to leap forward as a tourism-friendly city where tourists and citizens coexist.”