Yeongam Travel 1+1 Achieves Net Sales of 700 Million Won in 5 Months

Attracting 14,000 Tourists Through the Program

Through the Yeongam Travel 1+1 event, more than 14,000 tourists visited Yeongam. Photo by Yeongam County

The "Yeongam Travel 1+1" tourism support program, promoted by Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province, achieved results in revitalizing the local economy by recording net sales of over 700 million won in five months.

According to the county, the "Yeongam Travel 1+1" pilot project provided incentives to out-of-town tourists who visited Yeongam and spent a certain amount. The program ran for about five months, from July 31 to the end of last year.

Analysis of the "Yeongam Travel 1+1" website during the project period showed that a total of 14,119 tourists visited Yeongam. Their total spending, excluding incentives, exceeded 705 million won.

The incentives distributed included 325 million won in Wolchul Pay and 46 million won in Yeongam Mall points, which were reinvested into the local economy through local currency and the online mall.

An analysis of approximately 1,500 receipts submitted by tourists during the incentive application process showed that spending was evenly distributed across the local neighborhood businesses, rather than being concentrated in specific sectors. By sector, restaurants accounted for the largest share of net sales at 48.8%, followed by accommodations at 23.6%, daily goods and retail at 16.6%, and cafes at 5.6%.

The county evaluated these results as evidence that the project’s objective-to connect tourism with spending and to encourage stay-type tourism involving accommodation and dining-proved effective in practice.

Sectoral analysis of Wolchul Pay usage by tourists also showed that restaurants accounted for the highest share at 33.3%, followed by gas stations at 16.6%, and daily goods and retail at 8.9%.

In terms of tourist demographics, women made up 56.8% of visitors, higher than men at 43.1%. The age group 40-44 was the largest at 28%, followed by 35-39 at 19.8%, and 45-49 at 14.5%.

Based on this analysis, the county plans to improve the participation criteria and incentive payment methods for this year’s "Yeongam Travel 1+1" program. The new incentive criteria will apply to individuals who spend at least 50,000 won and teams of two or more who spend at least 100,000 won. The program will support 50% of the spending for the first round and 75% for the second round.

The maximum recognized spending amount will also be expanded to 200,000 won for individuals and 400,000 won for teams. Additionally, digital Yeongam resident card holders will receive an extra 5,000 won for the first round only.

Tourists wishing to participate can apply in advance through the "Yeongam Travel One Plus One" website. After verifying their spending on accommodation, dining, and experiences, they can receive tourism incentives in Wolchul Pay.

Woo Seunghee, Mayor of Yeongam County, stated, "We will take the lead in building a structure where tourists visit, stay, and spend in the region," adding, "Through Yeongam Travel 1+1, we will establish a system where tourism and the local economy circulate and grow together."