Following the Transfer Tour for Layovers Under 24 Hours,
Gimpo Joins Incheon Airport's K-Stopover Program for Stays Up to 72 Hours
Introducing Linked Package Tours Featuring Aegibong and Art Village
Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Byungsoo) is ramping up efforts to attract foreign tourists.
A foreigner participating in the transfer tour is taking a commemorative photo at Aegibong Peace Ecological Park. Provided by Gimpo City
On the 19th, Gimpo City announced that it will participate in the 'K-Stopover' program operated by Incheon International Airport Corporation for foreign transfer passengers. This move follows the ongoing 'Transfer Tour' initiative for foreign tourists that began in December last year, and is expected to significantly boost the city's ability to attract international visitors and enhance its global recognition.
The K-Stopover program, in which Gimpo City is now participating, is a travel package designed for foreign transfer passengers passing through Incheon International Airport who have a layover of more than 24 hours but less than 72 hours.
'Stopover' refers to a tourism product that encourages travelers on long-haul flights to explore the layover city during their transfer time.
Globally, cities such as Helsinki in Finland, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, and Changi Airport in Singapore have successfully operated stopover programs, achieving great results in attracting tourists. In particular, Finnair has strengthened Helsinki's position as a gateway to Europe by offering free city tours to transfer passengers, while Dubai has revitalized layover tourism through premium package programs targeting transfer travelers.
The K-Stopover Gimpo tour package includes a semi-package tour on the first day, connecting Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, Byeokkot Farmer Experience Center, Gimpo Art Village, and Gimpo Hyundai Premium Outlet. The second day is set as free time. The package can be purchased through the official K-Stopover website, with prices starting at $275 per person for groups of four.
Gimpo City also launched the 'Transfer Tour' for passengers with layovers of less than 24 hours, with a pilot program in December 2024 and full-scale operation starting in January 2025. To date, about 50 people participate in this program each month on average.
More than 20 foreign video creators and online community operators in Korea are taking a commemorative photo at Aegibong. Provided by Gimpo City
Meanwhile, in June, Mayor Kim Byungsoo introduced Gimpo's resources and promoted the city's vision and values to ambassadors from 10 countries who visited Aegibong. The city is also focusing on raising international awareness of Gimpo's tourism assets by participating in content exchange events hosted by the Korea Association of Travel Agents, where local governments, tourism organizations, and content companies gather. At these events, Gimpo has promoted key attractions such as Aegibong Peace Ecological Park, Aramarina, and Gimpo Warship Park as representative tourist destinations.
With Gimpo Warship Park being selected as one of the '2025 Small but Promising Tourist Destinations' by the Korea Tourism Organization for the second half of this year, Gimpo City plans to expand stay-type programs, develop merchandise, and host the Warship Park Sunset Culture Festival, among other initiatives to vitalize stay-type tourism.
Additionally, Gimpo City has been selected for Gyeonggi Province's 'Northern Gyeonggi Culinary Tourism Promotion Project' and will launch a gourmet tourism content development project under the theme 'Gimpo, Slow Gastronomy - Healing Gourmet Tour Project,' linking Daemyeong Port seafood and key local experience sites.
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