Gangneung City to Launch Friendly Business Discovery Challenge in March
Spreading a Culture of Kindness Ahead of the 2026-2027 Visit Gangneung Years
Gangneung City in Gangwon Province announced on the 27th that, to mark the 2026-2027 Visit Gangneung Years, it will officially launch the “2026 Tourist-Recommended Friendly Business Challenge” on March 1 in cooperation with the Citizens’ Action Movement Promotion Committee for the International Tourism City.
Gangneung City releases promotional materials to discover friendly businesses through a tourist participation event. Provided by Gangneung City.
This challenge was designed to identify highly reliable friendly businesses through the vivid feedback of tourists and to spread a voluntary culture of kindness among local dining and lodging establishments.
Through this initiative, the city plans to enhance Gangneung’s tourism brand image and establish a service culture that meets global standards, thereby accelerating its leap forward as an “international tourism city.”
The challenge is open to all tourists visiting Gangneung. If, during their trip to Gangneung, they experience impressive service or find a business they would like to recommend, they can easily submit a recommendation through the dedicated bulletin board on the Gangneung tourism website “Visit Gangneung.”
Gangneung City plans to select a total of 12 businesses per year from among the recommended establishments, including two dining businesses and one lodging business each quarter. The selection will be made fairly through a rigorous three-stage verification process consisting of: verification of data integrity, on-site inspections (checking indicators such as kindness, honesty, and cleanliness), and deliberation by the Citizens’ Action Movement Promotion Committee for the International Tourism City.
Various incentives will also be provided for tourists who participate in the challenge. Each quarter, participants in the recommendation process will be entered into a drawing to receive prizes such as accommodation vouchers for tourist attractions in Gangneung and award-winning items from the Gangneung City tourism souvenir contest, further enhancing Gangneung’s appeal as a destination people want to revisit.
Eom Geummun, Head of the Tourism Policy Division, said, “This challenge is especially meaningful in that tourists themselves participate in shaping Gangneung’s culture of kindness,” adding, “Active participation from both citizens and tourists will be a great driving force for Gangneung’s leap forward as an international tourism city.”
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