"Happy Family Trip with GKL" Continues Support for Tourism-Vulnerable Groups in the Second Half of the Year

- Expanded to 19 Sessions Annually, Third Round of Participant Organizations Open Until September 8
- Second Half Trips Begin September 13-14 in Goryeong and Hapcheon, Gyeongsang Region

Grand Korea Leisure (GKL, CEO Yoon Doohyun) and the GKL Social Contribution Foundation (Chairman Lee Jaekyung) operated the domestic travel support program "Happy Family Trip with GKL" for families from tourism-vulnerable groups 11 times in the first half of the year, and plan to continue providing travel support in the second half of the year.

This year, the "Happy Family Trip" program recruited a total of 17 participating organizations, and the recruitment process attracted significant interest, with 56 organizations applying. As a result, the original plan of 17 sessions was expanded by adding two more, bringing the total to 19 sessions. The remaining 8 sessions will be held from September to November. Each session recruits and operates with around 25 participants, and recruitment for the third round of participating organizations is currently open until 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 8.

The first schedule for the second half will be held as a two-day, one-night trip from Saturday, September 13 to Sunday, September 14. The Daegu Dalseong-gun Family Center, selected through a public contest, will participate in this session. Participants will experience a variety of programs in Gyeongsang Province’s Goryeong and Hapcheon, including a visit to Haeinsa Temple, a tour of the Daegaya Museum, wearing traditional scholar attire and staying overnight at a hanok in Gaesil Village, and a traditional taffy-making activity. Notably, families will enjoy a healthy and enjoyable trip by staying in the traditional hanok village of Goryeong Gaesil Village, where local residents actually live, and by engaging in hands-on activities and meals using local specialties and seasonal ingredients, allowing them to deeply connect with the region and interact with the residents.

Meanwhile, since 2021, a total of 2,339 people have participated in the "Happy Family Trip with GKL" program, which is operated for a diverse range of tourism-vulnerable families, including multicultural families, single-parent families, grandparent-grandchild families, low-income families, and overseas Korean families.

The travel destinations are spread across five regions nationwide: Gangwon (Inje), Gyeonggi (Yeoncheon), Gyeongsang (Hapcheon, Goryeong), Jeolla (Suncheon, Yeosu), and Chungcheong (Gongju, Buyeo, Taean). The trips are organized as either two-day, one-night or three-day, two-night itineraries. The program aims to revitalize local tourism and realize the value of mutual growth through a Community-Based Tourism (CBT) approach.

A representative from the GKL Social Contribution Foundation stated, "We believe this is a meaningful achievement that empowers both local communities and families, going beyond simple travel support," adding, "We will continue to support happy family trips and contribute to revitalizing local tourism in the future."

The GKL Social Contribution Foundation is a public interest corporation under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, established in 2014 with funding from GKL (Grand Korea Leisure), a tourism public corporation. Since 2021, it has operated the "Happy Family Trip" program in partnership with the social enterprise Good Travel Co., Ltd.