This Year’s 192.4 Billion Won Investment in Culture and Tourism
Corporate 'Workation Week' and Support for Cultural Artists' Creative Activities
Promotion Linked to Winter Youth Olympic Games and Forest Expo
[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] Gangwon Province, which is focusing on fostering stay-type tourism and revitalizing the tourism industry by targeting overseas tourism markets, will prioritize budget investment in the cultural tourism sector this year.
The province plans to invest in supporting the creative activities of cultural artists and complete construction of the venues for the '2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games'?the first held in Asia?with 5 snow sport venues and 4 ice sport venues by October.
The Gangwon Provincial Cultural Tourism Bureau announced on the 23rd, "This year, while reducing the province's financial burden, we will invest 192.4 billion KRW in tourism, culture, and Olympic sectors, including stay-type tourism that will drive the local economy and hosting the Winter Youth Olympic Games."
Last year, the number of tourists visiting Gangwon Province reached 153.52 million (Korea Tourism Data Lab & Korea Tourism Organization), an increase of 17.8% (23.19 million) compared to the previous year. This is the highest growth rate nationwide and 7.91 million more than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The number of airport users in the province also set a record high at 570,000 (Yangyang 380,000, Wonju 190,000). Notably, Gangwon was the first local government in the country to hold 'Gangwon Workation Day,' launching Gangwon Workation with B2B consultation meetings.
The province plans to expand stay-type tourism products such as workation and lifestyle tourism from 5 cities/counties last year to 8 cities/counties this year, linked with the '2023-2024 Visit Korea Year,' and also operate a 'Workation Week' targeting companies.
Workation was selected last year as an excellent government case responding to the population decline crisis and received a special grant of 500 million KRW.
To target overseas tourism markets, Gangwon will participate in 'K-Tourism Roadshows' held in major cities worldwide to intensively promote Gangwon’s cultural tourism, the '2023 Gangwon World Forest Expo,' and the '2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games.'
In cooperation with the East Asia Tourism Organization Federation (EATOF) and the '36th Korea-Taiwan Tourism Exchange Meeting' to be held in Gangneung this June, the province will also expand international tourism joint cooperation projects.
To support the creative activities of cultural artists, a rest year system (applying a one-year rest after two or more consecutive years of support projects) will be introduced, and support conditions will be relaxed to provide fair opportunities and stable creation for artists.
This year, new projects such as the 'Gangwon Artists Festival' and 'Gangwon Gallery Operation' will be carried out to continue supporting diverse cultural activities.
Baek Chang-seok, Director of the Gangwon Provincial Cultural Tourism Bureau, said, "This year, the inaugural year of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, is an opportunity for the development and leap forward of Gangwon’s cultural tourism," adding, "We will strive to improve the quality of local tourism linked to residents’ income."
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