Hwaseong Boat Festival Concludes Successfully with 270,000 Visitors

Achievements of Private Sector Leadership and Citizen Participation Programs

The 15th Hwaseong Boat Festival, held over three days from May 30 to June 1 around Jeongok Port in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, successfully concluded with approximately 270,000 visitors in attendance.

Visitors of the Hwaseong Boat Festival are experiencing yacht boarding in the sea in front of Jeongok Port. Provided by Hwaseong City

This year’s festival, held under the theme "LET'S S.E.A in Hwaseong," was evaluated as having established itself as Korea's leading marine festival, blending marine leisure, cultural arts, and citizen participation.

This year’s festival focused on three main aspects: private sector-led operations, expanded citizen participation, and revitalization of the local economy. The signature marine program, yacht and boat boarding experiences, was expanded under private sector leadership, allowing visitors to enjoy boarding a wider variety of vessels.

According to the city, the festival collaborated with local fishing communities, the yacht association, and fishing organizations to offer a range of marine experience programs, such as on-board fishing and traditional fish trap experiences. These programs increased tourists' length of stay and energized local businesses.

The "Messengers of the Wind" dance competition, held on an open stage with the sea as a backdrop, featured performances by a total of 20 teams. The "Voyage of the Pungnyudan" attracted attention with a yacht parade and street march that moved between land and sea.

The scenery of the 'Hwaseong Boat Play Festival' held for three days from the 30th of last month to the 1st of this month around Jeongok Port in Hwaseong. Provided by Hwaseong City

The event also featured customized programs for different generations, including mudflat experiences, tours of Gukhwado Island, and a children's water park for families, as well as a Latin music festival, nighttime fireworks, and night boat boarding experiences targeting the MZ generation.

The city plans to transform next year's event into a global marine tourism and cultural festival by incorporating international content. To achieve this, Hwaseong will actively attract foreign tourists by expanding the use of its proprietary festival characters and emoticons, a smart promotional platform, and multilingual promotional content.

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong, stated, "I hope this festival will help Hwaseong's sea become an attractive tourist destination that people want to visit again," adding, "We will continue to develop the boat festival with Hwaseong’s unique character in the future."