New DMO to Receive Up to 650 Million KRW Support Over 5 Years
Yeongwol, Yeongdeok, Yeongdong, Gangjin, and six other locations have been newly selected as local tourism promotion organizations (DMOs) by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Busan, Jeonju, Mokpo, Andong, and Gangneung will continue as tourism hub cities (phase 2), receiving their final year of support in the fifth year.
Travelers participating in 'Dadali Hadong,' a stay-type night tourism revitalization project in Hadong-gun selected as an excellent DMO, are sitting in a tea garden on the mountainside where Hadong Hwagaecheon meanders into the Seomjin River, spreading out a tea set and enjoying tea while appreciating the scenery.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 11th that, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, it has selected 22 local tourism promotion organizations for 2024.
Local tourism promotion organizations are groups formed through consultations among residents, industry, and local governments to proactively lead regional tourism. Selected organizations receive up to 650 million KRW in national funding over five years.
After two rounds of evaluation, the Ministry announced the selection of 22 DMOs for 2024: 10 newly selected, 7 continuing support, and 5 tourism hub cities. The competition rate was 4.3:1 in phase 1 and 2.3:1 in phase 2, reflecting fierce competition compared to previous years.
The newly selected DMOs include ▲Dong-gu Culture and Tourism Foundation (Dong-gu, Gwangju) ▲Yeongwol Culture and Tourism Foundation (Yeongwol-gun, Gangwon) ▲Yeongdeok Culture and Tourism Foundation (Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk) ▲Yeongdong Festival Tourism Foundation (Yeongdong-gun, Chungbuk) ▲Gangjin-gun Culture and Tourism Foundation (Gangjin-gun, Jeonnam), among others, totaling 10 locations.
The DMOs continuing support include ▲Cooperative Hadong Resident Fair Travel Nolruwa (Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam) ▲Wanju Culture Foundation (Wanju-gun, Jeonbuk) ▲Pyeongchang-gun Tourism Council (Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon) ▲Happy Travel Sharing (Hongseong-gun, Chungnam), totaling 7 locations.
The tourism hub cities receiving their final fifth-year support include ▲Busan (Busan Tourism Organization) ▲Andong (Andong City Tourism Council) ▲Jeonju (Jeonju Tourism Marketing Co., Ltd.) and two others, totaling 5 local tourism promotion organizations.
Private tourism information center 'Teo-Muni' cafe 'Hongdam' operated by the local tourism promotion organization of Hongseong. [Photo by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]
Selected DMOs can receive up to 650 million KRW in national funding: 100 million KRW in the first and second years, and 150 million KRW in the third to fifth years. Customized project consultations, benchmarking, and promotional marketing support are also provided for each local tourism promotion organization.
The DMO development project, initiated in 2020, has recently begun to show results. For example, Hadong-gun, previously selected as an excellent DMO, attracted about 1,500 tourists last year through projects such as the stay-type night tourism activation project 'Dadali Hadong' and the Hadong-style accommodation model project 'Hotel Dasuk.'
Notably, the 'Dadali Hadong' project increased monthly night tourism participation from 50-70 people to 300 in September and 500 in October last year. All 120 tourists who participated in the new night tourism program 'Moonlight Sound,' linked with 'Choi Champan House,' stayed overnight in the local area.
Jeonju DMO achieved sales of approximately 24,000 units through the 'Jeonju Restaurant Tour Pass' project, which links representative local restaurants and cultural performances at affordable prices, contributing to the mutual development of local food businesses (23 participating companies) and artists.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will hold the '2023 Joint Performance Training Session' on the 20th at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Jung-gu, Seoul. Newly selected local tourism promotion organization officials and local government officials will participate, with awards presented to organizations that achieved excellent results last year and sharing of best practices.
Park Jong-taek, Director of Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The role of local tourism promotion organizations is growing in revitalizing regional tourism, from increasing the influx of living populations to managing tourism service quality. We expect the newly selected local tourism promotion organizations to carry out passionate and creative activities based on past successful cases."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
