"40 Million Visitors Expected This Year": AI Predicts Gangneung as Gangwon's Top Tourism City in 2026

Analysis of Korea Tourism Organization Data Lab and Local Government Policies
Gangneung City Expected to Lead Tourism Growth in the Province

According to an artificial intelligence (AI)-based analysis of tourism data, Gangneung City is expected to achieve the most outstanding performance in the tourism industry among the 18 cities and counties of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province in 2026.

A panoramic view of Gangneung City Hall.

This analysis is based on objective data derived from the integrated AI review of tourism big data from the Korea Tourism Organization’s Data Lab, Gangwon Province’s “2025-2026 Visit Gangwon Years” strategy, and the major business plans of each local government for 2026.

According to the AI analysis, Gangneung City has recorded the highest proportion of overnight stays and the fastest growth rate of foreign tourists among all cities and counties in the province. In particular, the recently opened Donghae Line railway has expanded the tourist base, which was previously concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, to the Yeongnam region as well. As a result, it is forecast that approximately 40 million tourists will visit Gangneung throughout 2026.

Gangneung City has designated this year as the inaugural year for its leap toward becoming a “global tourism city” and has officially declared the “Visit Gangneung Year.” Through this initiative, the city aims to generate around 28 trillion won in direct tourism consumption and create approximately 100,000 jobs.

The city plans to significantly strengthen nighttime and stay-type content, such as the Ojukheon traditional boat rides and Gyeongpo Moonlight Art Show, thereby expanding time-consuming infrastructure and improving the current day-trip-focused tourism structure.

On the 25th of last month, when the severe cold continued, tourists were watching the waves of the winter sea at Gangmun Beach in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. Photo by Yonhap News

In addition, Gangneung will bolster global marketing by launching full-scale K-culture marketing targeting overseas Millennials & Gen Z, in connection with preparations to host the World Masters Table Tennis Championships and the ITS World Congress.

The AI identified the establishment of “workation” and the deepening of “local brand consumption” as key tourism trends for 2026. Gangneung already possesses a well-established workation center and strong local content, epitomized by “Gangneung coffee,” giving it a competitive edge over other cities and counties not only in attracting visitors but also in drawing long-term residents.

The analysis found that while Chuncheon excels in lake tourism and demand from the Seoul metropolitan area, and Sokcho is strong in high-density gourmet tourism, Gangneung is expected to play the central role in Gangwon’s tourism in 2026 in terms of overall tourism spending and the scalability of its policies.

A Gangneung City official stated, “According to the AI analysis, 2026 will be a crucial turning point for Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province to become a global tourism city. When Gangneung’s aggressive stay-type tourism policies and infrastructure improvements are combined with data, they will become a powerful engine driving tourism growth throughout Gangwon Province.”

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