Iksan City Accelerates Efforts to Become a '10 Million Tourist City'

City Tours, Festival Tourism Train Products, and More

Iksan City in North Jeolla Province is accelerating its efforts to become a city that attracts 10 million tourists.

On the 12th, the city announced that it is preparing a variety of tourism products under diverse themes, including history, gastronomy, rural experiences, children, and pets.

Wanggungri Site. Provided by Iksan City

Iksan boasts abundant tourism resources, such as ancient and modern historical and cultural heritage, the natural environment of the Geumgang and Mangyeonggang Rivers, local agricultural products and renowned restaurants grown on fertile land, Iksan Station as the transportation hub of the Honam region, major festivals, and family-friendly tourist attractions.

Building on this foundation, the city achieved its goal of attracting 5 million tourists last year and reaffirmed its commitment to tourism by holding the ‘10 Million Tourist City Vision Proclamation Ceremony’ on the 7th.

The city aims to establish itself as a true city of ten million tourists by adding distinctive themed tourism products to its existing tourism industry infrastructure.

Iksan is the center of railway transportation in the Honam region. At Iksan Station, where both KTX and SRT stop, three railway lines?Honam, Jeolla, and Janghang?branch out. A major advantage is that it takes only 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach Iksan Station from Seoul by high-speed train, making it easily accessible to tourists from the metropolitan area.

This year, the city will leverage this strength by collaborating with Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) to promote railway-linked tourism with different seasonal themes. Train passengers arriving at Iksan Station can use the city tour to visit tourist attractions.

Themed city tours operate on weekdays, while circular city tours run on weekends. Special travel courses are prepared in connection with local religious sites, gardens, and festivals. Free admission to the Jewelry Museum is also offered.

Themed products include the ‘Confession City Tour,’ which visits four major religious sites, and the ‘Night View Tour,’ which showcases Iksan’s beautiful night scenery. This year, a new tour visiting Harim, Iksan’s leading local company, will be introduced, providing customized travel products that reflect the diverse experiences tourists seek.

The city tour fee is 2,000 won per person, and 1,000 won for Iksan citizens and other eligible individuals. The affordable price and the ability to freely explore Iksan’s major attractions are expected to attract many tourists again this year.

Another source of pride for Iksan is its ‘UNESCO World Heritage’ sites. In 2015, the Baekje Historic Areas of Mireuksaji and Wanggung-ri in Iksan were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites, marking their 10th anniversary this year.

Accordingly, the city has added the ‘Godo Hannunae World Heritage Center,’ which offers a comprehensive view of Baekje historical sites, to the city tour course, providing tourists with opportunities to experience the region’s rich historical and cultural assets.

This year, the city established a dedicated department, the ‘Gastronomy Industry Division,’ to oversee Iksan’s culinary scene. It aims to boost not only the development of the gastronomy industry but also gastronomic tourism. The city will promote local signature dishes such as Hwangdeung Yukhoe Bibimbap and long-standing, locally acclaimed restaurants.

A kimchi-making cultural festival will also be held with renowned local kimchi masters. In addition, the city will offer tourism programs featuring the nation’s largest cooking competitions, a food festival using sweet potato stems, Chicken Road, and youth ramen shops, combining taste and entertainment.

This year, Iksan was also selected for the ‘Pet-Friendly Tourism City’ project. Over the next four years, until 2028, the city plans to invest 2 billion won, including 1 billion won in national funds, to develop tourism infrastructure that allows travel with pets.

The city will promote: ▲Development and operation of pet-specialized content (activation of Jewelry Pet Park, Dadaikmeong Wellness, creation of pet-friendly travel routes, travel support) ▲Establishment of a pet-friendly environment (pet mobility, creation of Ani Lounge, guidebook production, fostering pet-friendly citizens, etc.) ▲Expansion strategies (research on revitalizing pet tourism in Iksan, operation of Dadaikmeong Task Force, operation of Ani College, establishment of promotional marketing and cooperative governance).

Recently, Iksan has been transforming into a tourist city where anyone can easily visit according to their preferences, through various train tourism products, night festivals, and expanded play areas for children.

The city plans to launch group tourism products that incorporate know-how from group tours into tourism train products linked to Iksan’s major festivals. It will also operate 1-night, 2-day stay-type products and night tour programs in connection with night events such as the Iksan Cultural Heritage Night Walk.

At the Wanggung Jewelry Theme Tourist Site, a new ride experience facility called the Roll Glider has opened, offering the thrill of gliding over the Wanggung Reservoir between the trees. At Seodong Ecological Park, a children’s forest-themed village will be created, and at Sinheung Neighborhood Park, a light garden project will be developed for enjoying the city’s nightscape.

In addition, various incentives have been prepared, such as activity and stay cost support for group tourists and hosting events using Mireuksaji or Wanggung historic sites. Groups of 20 or more visiting festivals will receive 400,000 won per bus, regular group tourists can receive up to 22,000 won per person, and school trips or field trip groups can receive up to 25,000 won per person.

Economic and Tourism Bureau Director Bae Seokhee said, “We will establish various strategies to ensure that tourists visiting Iksan are impressed and want to return,” adding, “We will do our best to lead the era of ten million tourists and revitalize the local economy.”