Mayor Yook Donghan and City Delegation to Visit Switzerland and Italy from September 20 to 28
Benchmarking Eco-friendly Tourism and Energy Models at Swiss Dams and Gardens
Sister City Agreement with Parma, Italy to Expand Gastronomy Network
Official Invitation to Festival Verdi... Chuncheon Expands Its Global Presence
Yook Donghan, the mayor of Chuncheon, and a city delegation will visit Switzerland and Italy from September 20 to 28. This trip is expected to serve as an important opportunity to further develop Chuncheon's sustainable city model and expand its international exchanges.
According to Chuncheon City on September 18, the delegation will study sustainable city models in the eco-friendly and tourism sectors in Switzerland and Como, Italy from September 21 to 24 (local time). On September 25, they plan to sign a sister city agreement with the city of Parma, expanding exchanges into the fields of culture, education, and gastronomy.
On September 21, the delegation will visit the Grande Dixence Dam in Valais, Switzerland, to explore eco-friendly hydropower models, decentralized power generation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy supply strategies for achieving RE100. This is in connection with the Soyang River Dam tourism infrastructure project, which is being promoted alongside the opening of the Soyang Lake Trail. The aim is to seek sustainable city strategies that harmonize tourism, transportation, and the environment. On September 22, the delegation will visit the Tradition Julen Hotel and the Gornergrat observation deck in Zermatt to benchmark examples of resource-circulating hotel operations and tourism products such as hiking and mountain trains.
On September 23, the delegation will move to Como, Italy, to study waterfront tourism and renewable energy utilization along Lake Como. As a world-renowned resort, Lake Como has well-established eco-friendly transportation systems, such as electric boats and bike paths, as well as community-participatory tourism models. The city plans to apply these insights to the Banghari Tourism District project in Namsan-myeon, aiming to develop a Chuncheon-style tourism model that combines waterfront tourism with climate and energy policies.
On September 24, the delegation will visit Lecco City Hall to learn about waterfront tourism policies and renewable energy management strategies. The city intends to incorporate insights gained from Lecco into the Banghari Tourism District and Soyang River Dam projects, further refining a model that combines sustainable tourism with renewable energy policies.
Chuncheon City will also establish a new partnership by signing a sister city agreement with Parma, Italy. On September 25 (local time), Mayor Yook Donghan and the city delegation will sign the agreement at Parma City Hall. This follows the exchange of a letter of intent between the two cities at the "Ciao! Italia" event in June, marking the next official step in the process.
The sister city agreement is the result of ongoing exchanges, beginning with cultural interactions with Italy since 2020 and including Chuncheon students' training at the Alma Culinary School in July. This agreement marks Chuncheon's first European sister city and is expected to significantly expand the city's international exchange network to Europe.
The agreement will include plans to broaden exchanges in various fields such as culture, education, gastronomy, and the arts. It is expected to open new avenues for international exchange of local specialties, such as Chuncheon's Dakgalbi and Makguksu, and Parma's Prosciutto and cheese. Furthermore, the city plans to combine Parma's experience as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy with Chuncheon's regionally specialized tourism industry to create a "Chuncheon-style global gastronomic tourism model."
After the signing ceremony, the delegation will visit the University of Parma to discuss educational and cultural exchange initiatives with Kangwon National University, including student exchanges and joint research. They will also visit the National Conservatory and music schools to discuss cultural event exchanges, such as performances for next year's "Ciao! Italia" opening ceremony.
On September 26, the delegation will visit a Parma prosciutto factory and the Parma Quality Restaurant (PQR) Association to explore potential cooperation in the gastronomy and food industries. The delegation will review Parma's DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) system to compare and benchmark it with Chuncheon's agricultural specialty policies, and discuss collaboration on "Chuncheon-style gastronomic tourism" with the PQR Association.
The trip will conclude with the world-renowned Festival Verdi, a music festival held in Parma with participation from local citizens. The Festival Verdi, held annually in Giuseppe Verdi's hometown, is a major cultural event attracting musicians and tourists from across Italy and Europe.
Chuncheon City, which received an official invitation to the festival in June, expects that attending this performance will symbolize the trust and friendship between the sister cities. The city plans to use this opportunity to further expand cultural and artistic exchanges between Chuncheon and Parma.
A Chuncheon City official stated, "As this is an on-site learning opportunity to further develop Chuncheon's future strategy, we will use the insights gained from dams, waterfronts, universities, and cultural sites to complete Chuncheon's unique sustainable city model."
The official added, "In particular, the sister city agreement with Parma is a symbolic step in expanding sustainable exchanges into the fields of culture, education, and gastronomy. We will strive to achieve tangible results that citizens can truly experience."
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