[Joyongjun's Manri Yodam] Light Calls People

Economic Impact of Night Tourism Beyond Imagination
Local Governments Fiercely Compete to Discover Content
Beautiful Nights Across Korea
250,000 Visitors Attend Pohang Fireworks Festival

"It looks like a castle from a fantasy movie." Last weekend, the Hyeongsan River in Pohang was illuminated with dazzling lights. This is the story of the night view of POSCO Pohang Steelworks lit up during the 2023 Pohang International Fireworks Festival. POSCO turned the lights back on after eight months since they were turned off due to Typhoon Hinnamnor damage in September last year. Thirty thousand LED landscape lights created colorful displays along the 6km riverside of Hyeongsan River. Tourists were amazed, saying they never imagined a steelmaking factory could be so splendid and beautiful. During the fireworks festival, 250,000 tourists visited Pohang.

The power of light is astonishing. Street lamps and showcase bulbs illuminate the path for nighttime passersby, instilling warmth. But that's not all. Tourists flock to see the vividly colorful and beautiful night views.

International cities are renowned for their nightscapes. Manhattan, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula, Sydney Opera House in Australia, Champs-?lys?es in France... When darkness falls, each building lit by neon and lighting turns into a work of art.

People from all over the world gather to become New Yorkers for even just a few days to experience the dazzling theaters around Broadway and 42nd Street. The media facades of Sydney's Vivid Festival, a festival of light, music, and media art, showcase unimaginable splendor. Under such a feast of lights, dining, drinking, shows, and music come together, making night views a sensory journey. Enjoying night views itself has become an important tourism content.

According to a 2019 report from New York City, nighttime tourism generated approximately $19 billion (about 23.3 trillion KRW) in economic effects and created 190,000 jobs. London's nighttime economy accounted for 40% of the UK's total, bringing about approximately ?26.3 billion (about 39 trillion KRW) in direct economic impact.

Tourism only during the day is a thing of the past. After the COVID-19 endemic, leisure activities have expanded into nighttime, making nighttime tourism content more important. The returning night has sparked fierce competition among local governments to attract tourists. They plan light festivals, open night markets, and offer night views and nighttime performances. Even the Cultural Heritage Administration is opening the heavy gates of palaces for nighttime visits.

The reason for attracting nighttime visitors with nighttime content is simple. If daytime tourism is a quick glance at scenery, fun, and experiences, nighttime keeps tourists longer, even overnight, increasing the likelihood they will open their wallets. In short, night tourism generates revenue.

On the 31st of last month, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization launched the nighttime tourism BI "Korea Night Night Everywhere" to promote nighttime attractions. This is because nighttime tourism significantly helps revitalize local tourism industries and attract foreign tourists.

According to the organization, the direct spending effect of nighttime tourism is 3.9 trillion KRW, and the production inducement effect is about 7 trillion KRW. They also forecast that direct spending from nighttime tourism could create about 40,000 jobs across all industries, including tourism.

Of course, there are challenges as well. Issues such as disorder, waste, nighttime noise, excessive lighting, price gouging, and unplanned nighttime tourism operations must be overcome.

However, unique and story-rich nighttime content cannot be overlooked for its contribution to revitalizing local economies. In the post-COVID era, we hope night views will become a beacon of hope that lights up the economies of regions where the lights had gone out.