Official Recognition as a "K-Santa Holy Site": Two Years of Intensive Government Support,
Accelerating Four-Season Stay-Type Tourism
A small mountain flag station in Bonghwa County, North Gyeongsang Province has been officially recognized as one of Korea's leading tourism contents.
Buncheon Santa Village has been finally selected for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "Local 100" program and will receive national-level support for promotion and brand management. "Local 100" is a project that systematically fosters 100 cultural and tourism resources with unique local identity and growth potential.
Over the next two years, Buncheon Santa Village will receive comprehensive support, including promotion through official government channels, media content production, exposure on online platforms, and provision of online and offline certification plaques, laying the groundwork for its leap into a nationwide brand.
The competitiveness of Buncheon Santa Village lies in its "four-season concept." It operates Santa-themed content year-round by combining the natural environment of the Baekdudaegan mountain range and the railway asset of Buncheon Station with a Christmas theme.
In addition to the village's winter snowy scenery, the summer "Midsummer Santa Festival," train travel-linked programs, sales of local specialty products, and resident-participation hands-on events have helped it establish itself as a stay-type tourist destination. This is the background behind its growth into a family-oriented attraction that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors every year.
An official from the county said, "This selection is the result of our regional cultural tourism competitiveness being recognized," adding, "We will attract more domestic and international tourists through content advancement and differentiation strategies."
A small flag station has changed the fate of the region. It was not grand-scale development, but a "story-filled space" that revitalized tourism. Buncheon Santa Village's elevation to "Local 100" clearly shows the direction in which local tourism should move forward. It is a symbolic case that proves local uniqueness is itself a source of competitiveness.
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