"Half-Price Travel" to Revitalize Regions...Government to Cover Half of Travel Costs to Areas with Declining Populations

Government Launches First "Local Love Vacation Support" Half-Price Travel Program
Sixteen Local Governments, Including Pyeongchang and Gangjin, Selected for First-Half Participation

Starting in April, the government will launch a pilot project called the “Local Love Vacation Support (Half-Price Travel)” program, which refunds half of travel expenses for trips to rural areas with declining populations.

Korean Peninsula-shaped landform in Seonam Village, Yeongwol, Gangwon Province.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 27th that, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, it will for the first time implement a pilot project that refunds 50% of travel expenses incurred when visiting rural areas with declining populations, in the form of Local Love gift certificates. The project budget is 6.5 billion won.

The government has selected 16 local governments to participate in the first half of the year. The selected regions are Pyeongchang, Yeongwol, and Hoengseong in Gangwon Province; Jecheon in North Chungcheong Province; Gochang in North Jeolla Province; Gangjin, Yeonggwang, Haenam, Goheung, and Wando in South Jeolla Province; Yeongyang in North Gyeongsang Province; and Miryang, Hadong, Hapcheon, Geochang, and Namhae in South Gyeongsang Province. In the second half of the year, four additional local governments will be selected.

This project is a system designed to respond to regional extinction by revitalizing tourism in rural areas with declining populations, by refunding 50% of travel expenses in the form of mobile Local Love gift certificates. The maximum refund per person is 100,000 won, and for group travel of two or more people, up to 200,000 won can be refunded.

Citizens aged 18 or older who wish to participate must first submit their travel plans for the relevant region in advance and obtain approval from the local government. After actually taking the trip and submitting proof of travel expenditures, the refund will be made following verification by the local government. The refunded Local Love gift certificates can be used within this year at affiliated merchants in the region or on online shopping malls for local specialty products.

Since January, the government and the Korea Tourism Organization have been accepting applications from 84 rural areas with declining populations nationwide, and after evaluation, they selected a final list of 16 regions. The selected local governments, after prior preparation, plan to fully support citizens’ half-price travel from April through the end of June.

Specific details such as the application period for each region, the method of submitting proof of expenses, and how to use the gift certificates differ by region. Before the full-scale launch in April, applicants must check the eligible regions and region-specific guidance information through the “Korea Travel Easy” platform.

The government plans to comprehensively review the results of this year’s pilot project and then pursue a plan to gradually expand the target regions starting next year.

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwiyeong said, “We will work closely with local governments so that this pilot project can breathe new life into regions struggling with population decline and establish itself as a successful model that offers citizens frugal and enjoyable domestic travel opportunities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.