Over 7,000 Users in Just Seven Months of Operation
On April 24, Gwangju Dong-gu District announced that the region's only smart tourism platform, the Gwangju Art Pass, is taking the lead in revitalizing the local economy.
The Gwangju Art Pass, launched last year, is a smart tourism platform that combines Gwangju's unique cultural and artistic content with smart technology, allowing users to easily enjoy an art-focused trip to Gwangju anytime and anywhere.
Over the past seven months, the Gwangju Art Pass has gained popularity among participants through a variety of local travel products, including Art Pass exclusive products, Art Pass's own planned tourism products, partnership merchant discount passes (such as the 'Mimi Pass' for culinary tours), OTA products, and packages linked with adjacent cities and counties.
Programs that were particularly popular included "Our Time Is Connected," the Book & Beer Tour, the Daein Night Market "Guijang III" Pass, the Chungjang Festival Alley Tour ZIP, and the Independent Film Humanities Tour.
These programs became popular because users could conveniently access a variety of local partner merchants?such as restaurants, accommodations, tourist attractions, and art museums?at discounted prices through a single app. Thanks to this popularity, the Gwangju Art Pass achieved 7,640 sign-ups, recruited 199 partner merchants, and recorded a total of 2,701 transactions and sales of approximately 52.43 million KRW within just seven months of operation.
The Gwangju Art Pass recently completed the selection of a new operating agency and, this year, plans to offer travelers a special artistic experience with a wide range of products and generous benefits, including the Dong-gu representative alley tourism product "Donggu Chilseong" Puzzle & Stamp Tour, integrated operation and expanded discounts for the "Neighborhood Life" stay-type tourism product (for stays of one night or more), and the Dong-gu gourmet tourism culinary tour.
In addition, the platform aims to invigorate the local economy by expanding recruitment and training of partner merchants focused on local small businesses, developing signature Art Pass products for partner merchants, and strengthening the role of partner merchants as tourism promotion centers, along with increased incentive support.
District Mayor Im Taek stated, "With the increase in individual free travelers, we are continuously planning and operating customized travel content that utilizes Gwangju's artistic tourism resources," adding, "We will continue to pursue smart tourism policies using the Art Pass so that travelers visiting Gwangju can conveniently experience the city's charm."
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