A Total of 9.5 Billion KRW Invested by 2024
Promotion of Digital Tourism Environment Development Around Wondae-ri Birch Forest Area
The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 10th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Inje-gun, Gangwon Province, to create a smart tourism city.
Korea Tourism Organization and Inje-gun, Gangwon Province signed a business agreement on the 10th to create a smart tourism city. Jaehwan Lee (left), Vice President of Korea Tourism Organization, and Sanggi Choi, Mayor of Inje-gun, are taking a commemorative photo after signing the agreement. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]
Under this agreement, the organization and Inje-gun will invest a total of 9.5 billion KRW (4.5 billion KRW from the national government and 5 billion KRW from local government) by 2024 to develop a smart tourism city around the Wondae-ri Birch Forest area.
A smart tourism city refers to a city equipped with a digital tourism environment where travel information, products, and services such as tourism, accommodation, transportation, and shopping can be searched and used via mobile devices like smartphones. In 2021, smart tourism cities were established in areas such as Incheon Gaehangjang, Suwon Hwaseong, Yeosu Marine Park, and Daegu Suseong Lake through a nationwide local government competition.
This agreement was made to establish a close cooperative system between the two organizations ahead of the full-scale development of the smart tourism city by Inje-gun, which was selected as a final project site in this year's competition. Starting this year, Inje-gun plans to develop smart experience content such as customized trekking course recommendations and AI (artificial intelligence) voice guides to create a smart tourism environment around the Wondae-ri Birch Forest area, which attracts 450,000 tourists annually.
Additionally, they will establish a smart DX (digital transformation) hub center operated by a local residents' council to continuously develop and operate products and services necessary for the operation of the smart tourism city.
Lee Jae-hwan, Vice President of the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, “The creation of smart tourism cities is a collaborative project jointly promoted by the government and local governments to enhance tourist convenience and the attractiveness of travel destinations, thereby strengthening the self-sustainability and competitiveness of the regional tourism market.” He added, “We expect Inje-gun to build a virtuous industrial ecosystem where local residents and tourism businesses coexist and grow through the development of the smart tourism city.”
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