"Chuncheon King Canoe Is Asia's Top Barrier-Free Tourist Destination"

Seoyoon Hong, Former Head of the Korea Disabled Tourism Association
Names Chuncheon King Canoe as Her Most Impressive Travel Destination
"Barrier-Free Tourism Isn't Achieved by Facilities Alone
Changing Perceptions Begins with Education"

"When you ride a King Canoe on the calm river in the afternoon, as the sunset colors the sky, your mind naturally settles and you feel truly healed. All you hear are the sounds of the boat slicing through the water, surrounded by green nature and a gentle sunset-experiences like this are truly rare."

In an interview with The Asia Business Daily on January 14, Seoyoon Hong, former president of the Korea Disabled Tourism Association, described her time enjoying the King Canoe in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, as "a barrier-free tourist destination that could stand alongside any in Asia." She explained, "You can board the boat with your wheelchair and experience the atmosphere of the Bukhan River up close."

Human rights activist for people with disabilities, Seoyoon Hong. [Photo by Seoyoon Hong]

Hong began using a wheelchair after an accident at the age of ten. However, she never stopped venturing out into the world and has since traveled to over 30 countries. The King Canoe in Chuncheon remains one of her most memorable travel experiences because it allows for a journey with virtually no difference from that of non-disabled travelers-she hardly even noticed she was using a wheelchair.

In contrast, her boating experience in Yanagawa near Fukuoka, Japan, was uncomfortable. "I was told people with disabilities could participate, but someone had to lift me from my wheelchair into the boat," Hong recalled. "For a wheelchair user, having to rely on someone else's strength to move is extremely stressful," she said.

The King Canoe is a barrier-free tourism program developed by the Korea Tourism Organization. Since 2016, the organization has promoted the concept of "open tourism," enabling everyone-including people with disabilities and the elderly-to travel without restrictions. Chuncheon's King Canoe was selected as part of the open tourism site competition in 2019 and developed as a barrier-free destination.

Hong emphasized, "There is no activity that has as explosive an impact on a disabled person's participation in society as travel." In particular, her 2014 trip to Switzerland changed her life. Although she was already passionate enough to run a travel blog, she had never traveled long distances alone. Encouraged by a friend in Switzerland who simply said, "Just come," she boarded a plane and went on to visit seven European countries, including the Netherlands and Denmark. This journey led to her book, "Europe, There Was No Reason Not to Go," and inspired her to establish the Korea Disabled Tourism Association, where she worked to promote travel for people with disabilities until 2022.

However, she pointed out, "Barrier-free tourism cannot be achieved by facilities alone." She added, "Even after creating accessible tourist sites, sometimes poor management or staff changes lead to neglect. If the environments we worked so hard to create go unused due to lack of maintenance, isn't that a waste? More stakeholders need to truly understand barrier-free tourism for meaningful improvements to happen."

She also stressed that changing perceptions must start with education. "Although children with and without disabilities are supposed to receive integrated education, in reality, they are often still separated at school," Hong said. "Sometimes, teachers are unsure how to run classes in an inclusive setting." She continued, "Rather than simply demanding unconditional consideration from non-disabled children for their disabled peers, we should apply equal rules, adjust standards only where disabilities make certain things impossible, and explain these differences to foster empathy."