Seeking Solutions for Tourism Vitalization
at Sakaimachi Fireworks Festival and Naoshima Art Island
Boryeong City in South Chungcheong Province is taking steps to develop strategies for becoming a global tourist city by directly examining the successful cases of small towns and island tourism in Japan.
According to the city on September 16, Mayor Kim Dongil and the city delegation visited Sakaimachi in Ibaraki Prefecture, Takamatsu in Kagawa Prefecture, and Naoshima Island from September 13 to 17, focusing on how festivals and art content drive regional development.
Sakaimachi, with a population of 20,000 and 200 public officials, is a small city, but its annual fireworks festival held on the banks of the Tone River attracts 300,000 visitors, creating the so-called "ten times the city’s population" tourism phenomenon.
Additionally, the amount of donations through the hometown tax program has surpassed 10 billion yen annually, making it a representative success model for increasing fiscal independence through the power of content.
The delegation closely observed the festival planning process, transportation and safety management, and methods of resident participation, seeking ways to strengthen the competitiveness of global festivals such as the Boryeong Mud Festival currently being promoted by the city.
They particularly noted that Sakaimachi is implementing future-oriented administration, such as being the first in Japan to introduce autonomous buses.
Next, they toured Naoshima, the world-renowned "Island of Art." The Chichu Art Museum, Benesse House, Lee Ufan Museum, and Yayoi Kusama’s pumpkin sculpture have transformed the entire island into a massive art museum.
The Art House Project, which reinterprets traditional houses as contemporary art, is also receiving great acclaim by offering visitors unique experiences.
The city concluded from this visit that "even small cities can attract large numbers of tourists with differentiated content and planning capabilities."
They also confirmed that for island tourism, artistic symbols and storytelling are more crucial than simple infrastructure.
This insight aligns with the city’s ongoing "Oseom Islands" project and South Chungcheong Province’s Island Biennale, and is expected to serve as an important reference for future strategy development.
Mayor Kim Dongil stated, "We have confirmed that even small towns and islands can become world-class tourist destinations through unique ideas and artistic symbols," adding, "Boryeong will also develop into a global tourist city by combining citizen-centered administration with cultural values."
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