Yeosu City Achieves 'Grade 1' in Regional Tourism Development Index by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

"Securing Regional Tourism Competitiveness through Differentiation Strategies"

Yeosu City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Jung Kimyung) announced on the 31st that it has been selected as a top-tier (Grade 1) city for the third consecutive time in the "2023 Regional Tourism Development Index Trend Analysis" released by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, proving its status as a leading marine tourism and resort city in Korea.

The Regional Tourism Development Index serves as a basic reference to assess the level of tourism development in each region. Since 2015, the Ministry has evaluated the tourism level of local governments nationwide every two years, classifying them into six grades based on three main categories and 43 detailed indicators.

Yeosu City Panorama

In this evaluation, which targeted 17 metropolitan and 151 basic local governments, the city achieved a Grade 1 rating, being recognized as a place with optimal conditions for enjoying tourism and attracting a high volume of visitors.

Among the six basic local governments that received a Grade 1 rating, Yeosu is the only one to earn top marks in all main categories: "tourism capacity," "tourism consumption," and "tourism policy competency."

This achievement is attributed to the highly regarded operation of the consumer-centered platform through the smart tourism integrated app "Yeosuen," as well as the successful hosting of various international conferences and local festivals, drawing over 10 million tourists annually.

A city official stated, "Based on the results of this analysis and the 2035 Comprehensive Tourism Development Plan to be completed in the first half of next year, we will establish differentiated tourism development strategies and continue to enhance the competitiveness of local tourism."