Gangneung City Holds 17th Gangneung Coffee Festival Performance Sharing Session
Gangneung Coffee Festival Attracts 520,000 Visitors
Total Expenditure Reaches 44.2 Billion Won
The Gangneung Cultural Foundation held the "17th Gangneung Coffee Festival Performance Sharing Session" on December 17 in the main conference room on the second floor of City Hall. The event was organized to share the operational outcomes of the 17th Gangneung Coffee Festival, which was held over four days from October 30 to November 2, and to discuss future development directions.
This performance sharing session brought together citizens, participating businesses, small business owners, and related organizations to review this year's festival achievements and discuss areas for improvement and future growth strategies.
In particular, the event gained significance as it revisited Gangneung's cultural and industrial trajectory over the past 17 years, driven by coffee, and marked a new starting point for the Gangneung Coffee Festival to evolve into a global coffee culture tourism festival.
During this year's festival, the Gangneung Coffee Festival attracted a total of 520,000 visitors, representing an approximately 18% increase compared to last year's 440,000. The festival received a strong response by offering customized content for all generations, including the "Starry Night" program reflecting the tastes of Millennials & Gen Z, the retro-themed "Discerning Coffee Radio," and a kids' playground for children. These programs made full use of the region's natural environment, blending pine, sea, and coffee aromas.
Additionally, the festival strengthened the competitiveness of local events by creating synergy through organic collaboration with neighboring and related festivals such as the Noodle Festival and the Robot Competition.
According to the evaluation report for the 17th Gangneung Coffee Festival, the official number of visitors during the festival period was recorded at 520,000. The average spending per visitor was estimated at 85,000 won, resulting in a total estimated expenditure of approximately 44.2 billion won.
Furthermore, of the total visitors, 180,000 were local residents and 340,000 were visitors from outside the region. The economic ripple effect on the local economy from their spending amounted to 97 billion won. This is considered a meaningful achievement, demonstrating the festival's significant contribution to revitalizing the local economy.
Specifically, the festival is estimated to have generated about 49.9 billion won in local production inducement, 12.8 billion won in income inducement, 1,057 jobs, and 29.5 billion won in value-added inducement. By expenditure category, accommodation accounted for 32.8%, food and beverages for 25.2%, transportation for 17.4%, and shopping for 11.3%. The strengthening of nighttime programs encouraged visitors to stay in the area and enjoy the festival.
Under the slogan "Starry Gangneung Coffee," this year's festival featured a total of 19 programs, including urban-style events, coffee street-centered activities, and side events. Booth participation fees were waived to ease the burden on participating businesses. More than 80% of the 130 booths, which included coffee, desserts, and handicrafts, were allocated to local businesses, significantly boosting actual sales and revitalizing the local commercial district.
The festival also received positive feedback from citizens and visitors for its eco-friendly and family-friendly approach, such as expanding the use of reusable containers throughout the venue, creating rest areas with bean bags and hammocks, operating a coffee picnic, and setting up a kids' playground on the sandy beach.
The Gangneung Coffee Festival has avoided protocol-heavy opening ceremonies and large main stages, instead focusing on a "three-no festival" that emphasizes citizen and visitor participation. Rather than inviting major singers, the festival has strengthened its essence as a participatory event centered on busking performances by local artists.
During the performance sharing session, various improvement measures were proposed to enhance visitor convenience and space utilization. Plans include considering the introduction of shuttle buses and making better use of the route from Coffee Street to Songjeong Pine Grove for a more organized festival layout. In addition, there are plans to expand the participation of local coffee shops and introduce programs that showcase major coffee-producing regions and international coffee cultures, aiming to elevate the festival to a global level.
Furthermore, the festival aims to increase the use of the Culture Nuri Card and Gangneung Pay within the venue to enhance the festival's public value and boost the local economy. Plans are also underway to expand visitor amenities, such as wheelchair and stroller rentals and unique rest zones, to ensure the festival is enjoyable for everyone.
Based on the outcomes of this discussion, the Gangneung Cultural Foundation plans to establish a year-round festival ecosystem, operate a permanent stamp rally, and continuously build the brand of its flagship programs. The foundation also aims to diversify experiential tourism content and gradually implement mid- to long-term strategies to expand infrastructure such as electricity and parking, and enhance responses in the areas of environment, transportation, and safety.
Kim Hongkyu, Chairman of the Gangneung Cultural Foundation, stated, "The 17th Gangneung Coffee Festival is a celebration completed by the hands of our citizens, set against Gangneung's unique coffee story and its exceptional natural environment." He added, "I would like to express my deep gratitude to the small business owners and citizens who made the festival shine, even amid drought and economic recession." He continued, "Building on this year's achievements, we will do our utmost to ensure the Gangneung Coffee Festival becomes a world-class coffee culture tourism festival representing Korea."
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