'Let's Travel with Daengdaengi' Tourism Organization Announces Contest for Pet-Friendly Tourism Cities

Selected Two Locations: Metropolitan and Basic Types... 250 Million KRW Support Each
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism & Korea Tourism Organization Accept Applications Until February 20

With the pet-owning population reaching 10 million, the government is set to discover pet-friendly tourism cities.

Ulsan Trekking Mission Tour 'Meongpassible' On-site Photos. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 15th that they will hold a contest for the ‘2024 Pet-Friendly Tourism Cities’ until February 20.

Pet-friendly tourism cities are cities where people can travel with their pets and freely engage in tourism activities such as lodging, experiences, and shopping. Last year, Ulsan Metropolitan City and Taean-gun, Chungnam were selected for the first time.

This contest will select a total of two cities, one each in two categories?‘metropolitan type’ and ‘basic type’?based on the size and characteristics of local governments, with final selections made in March. The evaluation will be conducted in two stages: document review and on-site presentation. Detailed information will be provided on the Korea Tourism Industry Portal TourAz website and at a local government briefing session held at the Korea Tourism Organization’s Seoul Center on the 18th.

The selected local governments will receive 250 million KRW in support this year. A 1:1 local government cost-sharing is a mandatory condition, and support can be received for up to four years through annual mid-term evaluations. After selection, they will promote regional specialized projects such as ▲development of pet-friendly tourist attractions and companion travel products ▲improvement of accommodation readiness.

Ulsan Trekking Mission Tour 'Meongpassible' On-site Photos
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

Ulsan and Taean, selected last year, developed and introduced various pet companion travel products such as the ‘Ulsan Christmas Daengdaeng Train,’ ‘Ulsan Whale Sea Travel Ship Tour,’ and ‘Taean Daengdaeng Bus.’ They received great responses nationwide from pet owners by developing new content reflecting regional characteristics, including paddleboard experiences, doga (Dog+Yoga), trekking mission tours ‘Meongpossible,’ and ‘Daengdaeng Rally.’

Jo Yoon-mi, head of the Tourism Content Strategy Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, “With the increase in the pet-owning population and the expansion of demand for companion travel, the need for tourism infrastructure development and content discovery is growing. We expect that creating an environment where both pet owners and non-pet owners can travel together will revitalize the local economy and tourism industry.”