"Enjoy a 'Village-cation' in the City"... '2026 Rural Travel Festival' at Seoul Plaza

A Village-cation in the City on June 16
"Experience All of Rural Korea in Just One Day"

The 2026 Rural Travel Festival will be held at Seoul Plaza on June 16. To allow city residents to experience rural Korea in just one day, representative rural experience and recreation villages from nine provinces across the country will participate, offering regional traditional cultural performances and rural experience programs.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs announced on June 11 that it will host the 2026 Rural Travel Festival at Seoul Plaza on June 16. The event has been organized to introduce the charm of rural travel to city dwellers ahead of the summer vacation season, and to revitalize the rural economy by promoting rural tourism.

Under the theme "A Pause in the Busy Daily Life, Village-cation," the event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Seoul Plaza. A total of 67 promotional and experience booths will be operated, with participation from representative rural experience and recreation villages from nine provinces, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, the Rural Development Administration, the Korea Forest Service, organizations related to rural tourism, and young rural tourism entrepreneurs.

The participating rural experience and recreation villages will showcase a variety of hands-on activities that highlight the nature, culture, and traditions of rural areas. Visitors can directly experience the appeal of the countryside by taking part in activities such as making Injeolmi (rice cake), traditional yeot (Korean taffy), natural air fresheners, persimmon dyeing, and creating keyrings and handicrafts unique to each region.

There will also be a promotional hall for rural tourism policies and projects, where rural tourism policies and support programs will be introduced. Interactive programs for visitors will include providing rural travel information, AI instant photo booths, and activities such as making rural travel and tourism keycaps and keyrings, all aimed at boosting interest in rural tourism.

The main stage at the event venue will feature a series of performances and events. Traditional cultural performances will include the Dadeumi Nanta percussion performance from Oeam Village in Asan, Chungnam, and the Honam Women's Farmers' Nongak Pangut from Gajeong Village in Gokseong, Jeonnam. In addition, a variety of events such as a stamp tour of the promotional booths representing rural experience villages from nine provinces, a roulette event, voting for the best promotional booth, and a satisfaction survey will be held for visitors. Small prizes will be awarded to those who complete the promotional booth stamp tour.

Jeon Hanyeong, Director General for Rural Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, stated, "Rural areas are a precious tourism resource in Korea, where nature, culture, gourmet cuisine, and healing coexist. We hope that this Rural Travel Festival will provide city dwellers with relaxation and special memories in their daily lives, while offering new vitality and economic opportunities for rural communities."

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