Jeonbuk Iksan and Gyeongbuk Gyeongju Selected as Pet-Friendly Tourism Cities

Government to Provide Annual National Subsidy of 250 Million KRW for Four Years

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 4th that Iksan City in Jeonbuk Province and Gyeongju City in Gyeongbuk Province have been selected as pet-friendly tourism cities for 2025.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization, is promoting the "Pet-Friendly Tourism City" project to respond to the increasing demand for travel with pets and to create an environment where people can comfortably travel with their pets. Including the two cities selected this year, a total of six cities have been designated as pet-friendly tourism cities so far. In 2023, Ulsan Metropolitan City and Taean County in Chungnam Province were selected, and last year, Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province and Suncheon City in Jeonnam Province were chosen.

The government will provide an annual national subsidy of 250 million KRW (matched 1:1 with local government funds) for four years to pet-friendly tourism cities. Through this support, they aim to improve pet-friendly tourism infrastructure such as accommodations, food and beverage facilities, and transportation, and develop region-specific travel content for pet owners. Additionally, projects such as establishing public-private cooperation systems will be promoted to create cities where both pet owners and non-pet owners can coexist happily.

The demand for travel with pets continues to grow steadily. According to the "Status and Perception Survey on Traveling with Pets" conducted last year by the Korea Tourism Organization targeting pet owners, the rate of experience traveling with pets was 74.1%, an increase of 5.1 percentage points compared to the 2022 survey. Day-trip travel experience was 70.1%, and overnight travel experience was 60.4%, showing increases of 4.4 and 7.4 percentage points respectively compared to 2022.

[Photo by Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that 15 local governments applied for this year's pet-friendly tourism city competition.

Breaking through fierce competition, Iksan City, newly selected as a pet-friendly tourism city, plans to create a pet park as a major hub centered around the Wanggung Jewelry Theme Tourism Site under the theme "A Pet Healing Tourism City That Brings More Happiness the More You Enjoy It." They will offer various experiences to enjoy healthy travel with pets, including the "DOG+YOGA (Doga) Camping Experience," the "Meongryong Hanok Living Experience" linked with major tourist sites, the "Animal Healthcare Program" to experience comprehensive veterinary services, and operate the "Medical Pet Star."

Gyeongju City plans to establish a large-scale theme park called "Petpia" centered around the Bomun Tourist Complex. They will select 10 pet-friendly tourist destinations and provide essential facilities for traveling with pets at each site to create "Gyeongju, the Thousand-Year Historical City for Traveling with Pets." They will operate activities such as the "Bomun Lake Dog Run" using the Bomun Lake circular trail and the "Daengri Dan-gil Cafe Tour," and will also hold the "Gyeongju International Pet Star" to promote the pet culture industry.