Yeongju City Sosuseowon, Seonbi Village, and Seonbi Sesang Selected for 'Open Tourism Site Contest'

Creating a Tourism Environment Convenient for People with Disabilities and the Elderly

Tourism for Everyone

Sosuseowon, Seonbichon, and Seonbisesang in Yeongju-si, Gyeongbuk Province, managed by CMS, have been selected for the ‘2025 Open Tourism Site Contest’ hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, and will be newly transformed into tourist destinations that are easily accessible to everyone.

In this contest, which saw high competition with 86 tourist sites applying from 35 local governments nationwide, Yeongju-si achieved the distinction of having three tourist sites selected together, the only city to do so.

The ‘Open Tourism Site Development Project’ is a project to renovate walkways, ramps, and convenience facilities at tourist sites so that vulnerable groups such as the disabled, elderly, and families with infants and young children can travel more conveniently and safely, and to develop experiential content that can be enjoyed without discrimination.

With this selection, the city plans to invest a total budget of 1.5 billion KRW, including 750 million KRW in national funds, to begin full-scale improvement projects starting next year.

Looking at the project details by site, Sosuseowon will undergo ▲improvements to disabled restrooms according to BF standards ▲maintenance and expansion of disabled parking spaces ▲installation of stair ramps ▲improvement of the slope of office entrances ▲and walkway improvements.

At Seonbichon, projects include ▲maintenance and expansion of disabled parking spaces ▲improvements to ticket office facilities for wheelchair users ▲walkway improvements within Seonbichon ▲installation of ramps at house entrances ▲and partial demolition of walls for access, while at Seonbisesang, ▲installation of building entrance ramps ▲and installation of automatic doors will be promoted at each tourist site.

Commonly, the city will strengthen barrier-free tourism infrastructure by installing ▲electric wheelchair chargers ▲storage for wheelchairs and strollers ▲tactile exhibits and QR interpretation programs with bone conduction earphones ▲and braille signboards and leaflets.

Additionally, starting in 2026, the city will designate the last Saturday of every month as ‘Open Tourism Day’ to conduct promotional events for tourist sites and training for workers, continuously fostering a tourism environment accessible to all.

Jung Gyo-wan, Director of Tourism Promotion Division, said, “Through the selection in this contest, Yeongju’s tourist sites will be reborn as open tourism sites providing an equal tourism environment for everyone,” and added, “We will continue to expand barrier-free infrastructure so that all visitors, including vulnerable groups, can travel conveniently.”