Gangneung to Launch 'Visit Gangneung Years' for 2026?2027
Aggressive Tourism Strategy Linked to International Events Announced
Aiming to Attract 40 Million Domestic and 400,000 Foreign Tourists
Gangneung City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Kim Hongkyu) has declared 2026-2027 as the 'Visit Gangneung Years' and is launching an aggressive tourism strategy linked to international events, aiming to transform into a global tourism city.
With large-scale international events such as the 2026 World Masters Table Tennis Championships and the ITS World Congress, Gangneung plans to foster the tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industries in earnest, targeting 40 million domestic tourists and 400,000 foreign tourists annually.
Gangneung has set mid- to long-term goals of becoming one of the world's top 100 tourist attractions by 2030 and one of the top 100 tourist cities by 2040, designating 2026 as the inaugural year for securing global tourism competitiveness. To this end, during the 'Visit Gangneung Years,' the city will offer specialized products for international event visitors and monthly themed tourism packages, while strengthening year-round promotional marketing, including programs for the Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays.
In particular, Gangneung will expand the 'Kind, Honest, and Clean Gangneung' campaign in connection with the International Tourism City Citizen Action Movement and newly introduce a 'Recommended Kind Businesses Challenge' for tourists, encouraging voluntary participation from residents and merchants to enhance visitor satisfaction.
The inbound strategy to attract foreign tourists will also be significantly strengthened. Incentive support for overseas travel agencies will be expanded, and a dedicated platform for foreign independent travelers (FIT), 'Tour Bridge Gangneung,' will be fully launched to provide a one-stop service from booking to payment. In addition, the city will further develop the operation of foreigner-only tourist taxis to create a barrier-free transportation environment, thereby improving convenience for international visitors.
The city is also accelerating efforts to establish a safe and enjoyable year-round stay-type tourism destination. Building on last year's achievement of 3 million beach visitors, Gangneung aims to attract 3.5 million in 2026 by enhancing both safety management and content. During the beach season, 'Heart Guard' professional emergency rescue personnel will be newly deployed, and equipment such as automated external defibrillators will be expanded to establish a thorough safety network. Attractions for families will also be increased, including making the diving board event at Gyeongpo Beach's Oribawi a regular feature and expanding the sea pool facilities.
Year-round festival content is also becoming a core strategy for Gangneung tourism. In spring, the city will promote the cherry blossom festival as a unified event, adding night lighting and romantic walking trails to strengthen stay-type night tourism. In summer, the 'Gyeongpo Summer Festival' will be developed as a signature seasonal event by integrating the national busking competition, Beach Beer Festival, and Gyeongpo Summer Festival. The year-round festival lineup, including the autumn noodle festival and winter sunrise event, is expected to help revitalize the local economy.
The MICE industry will also be actively fostered. Centered around the Gangneung Convention Center, scheduled to open in November 2026, the city has set phased goals of attracting 40 large-scale and 30 small- to medium-sized events, with a 50% actual operation rate. The strategy includes attracting international conferences and exhibitions, operating familiarization tours, and strengthening incentives to actively bring in academic, association, and corporate events.
Overseas marketing will focus on target markets such as Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, which are visa-free and high-income. The city aims to boost actual visitor numbers through proactive promotion in China, operating pop-up stores in Japan, attracting overseas TV programs to film in Gangneung, and producing digital content with global influencers. In addition, Gangneung will host the 'Gangneung Travel Mart,' inviting officials from international tourism organizations and travel agencies to expand its global tourism network.
A Gangneung city official stated, "Gangneung is now evolving into a tourism city that competes not only domestically but also on the global stage," adding, "We will make Gangneung a city that people from all over the world want to visit through systematic global promotion and differentiated content."
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