How to Manage "Crowded Tourist Sites"? Korea Tourism Organization Publishes On-Site Response Manual

Operational Standards Covering the Entire Cycle:
From Prediction and Real-Time Response to Post-Evaluation


Practical Guidelines for Local Governments and Related Organizations
Toward a Systematic Safety Management Framework

On March 13, the Korea Tourism Organization announced the publication of the "Sustainable Tourist Attraction Congestion Management Manual" to proactively address congestion at tourist sites and strengthen on-site safety management.

Tourists visiting Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, the representative tourist attractions of Gyeongju City. Gyeongju City

This manual features comprehensive operational guidelines covering the entire management cycle—from preemptive preparation to on-site monitoring and post-event improvement—so that local governments and related organizations can systematically manage congestion at tourist attractions.

The manual is organized into three main stages: planning and design, operation and response, and evaluation and feedback. The planning and design stage covers site surveys and classification, setting key performance indicators (KPIs), congestion forecasting, and establishing a real-time monitoring system. The operation and response stage presents staff training, operation of situation rooms, activation of alert systems, safety management for tourists, and response strategies for different situations. The evaluation and feedback stage guides organizations through analyzing and assessing operational results, formulating improvement plans, and implementing post-management procedures.

In particular, the manual incorporates an integrated congestion analysis system that links predictive analytics, real-time analysis, and video analysis models. The Korea Tourism Organization explained that it was designed for flexible application depending on on-site conditions, thereby enhancing its practical usability.

Tourist Site Congestion Operation Management Manual. Photo by Korea Tourism Organization

Additionally, the manual includes sample KPIs and response scenarios, division of roles among organizations, on-site checklists, a warning alert system for each congestion level, situation room operation standards, deployment of safety personnel, and visitor flow management—offering content that can be immediately applied in the field.

Ji-eun Lee, head of the Tourism Consulting Team at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, "This manual is a practical guide that summarizes the entire process of congestion management at tourist attractions for on-site reference. We hope it will help local governments and related organizations build a data-driven safety network and create a sustainable tourism environment in which both residents and visitors can thrive together."

The manual is available on the Korea Tourism Data Lab platform.

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