Culture Ministry Inspects Inconveniences at Seoul Tourist Spots During Japan's 'Golden Week'

Utilization for Improving Domestic Tourism Service Quality

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 28th that they will inspect the tourism readiness of major tourist spots in Seoul on the 29th in response to Japan's Golden Week holiday (April 27 to May 6). Domestic university students belonging to the 'Tourism Service Win-Win Support Group' and the 'Cantavi Supporters' will pair up to receive complaints and inconveniences from the perspective of foreign tourists.

On the 28th, foreign tourists visiting a duty-free shop in downtown Seoul lined up to enter the store, coinciding with Japan's longest-ever Golden Week and China's Labor Day holiday. Japan's Golden Week is a traditional holiday period from late April to early May, and this year, with the Emperor's birthday and Crown Prince Naruhito's accession day designated as public holidays, it allows for the longest vacation in history. China is also observing one of its three major holidays, the Labor Day holiday. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The Tourism Service Win-Win Support Group is an organization launched in February with about 100 members by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization to enhance tourist satisfaction. It proactively inspects and improves the quality of services at domestic tourist sites. The Cantavi Supporters are a social media (SNS) reporter group that provides high-quality tourism content in real time to Japanese travelers. It consists of thirty-five Japanese residents in Korea.

Japan's Golden Week refers to the period around early May when public holidays such as Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day, and Children's Day are clustered. This year, with the weekend included, office workers can take just three days off to enjoy up to ten consecutive days of vacation.

Japanese people have named Korea as their most preferred overseas travel destination during this period. Accordingly, the two organizations will check for inconveniences in various areas such as guidance systems, convenience facilities, and transportation at popular foreign tourist spots like Myeongdong, Seongsu-dong, and Gwangjang Market.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization plan to share the inspection results with local governments and related ministries to use them for improving the quality of domestic tourism services.