'Gangjin Half-Price Travel' Program Closes in One Month with 8,568 Teams Applying

Around 16,000 Visitors Expected by Late August
Positive Outlook for Boosting Local Businesses

The Gangjin County "Half-Price Travel" program of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Metropolitan City, which refunds travelers part of their travel expenses, closed applications within just one month of its launch. With more than 8,500 teams applying to participate, this initiative is expected to have a significant positive impact on local tourism and businesses throughout the summer season.

Gangjin County announced on July 14 that applications for the "2026 Gangjin Half-Price Travel (Local Love Vacation Support Program)," which began on June 10, have been filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Tourists who have completed the application can receive a subsidy in the form of mobile Gangjin Love Gift Certificates after completing their trips as planned and undergoing the reimbursement process.

Foreign tourists are enjoying traditional tea and snacks at a hanok in Gangjin, experiencing Korean culture. Provided by Gangjin County

A total of 8,568 teams applied for this program. The county estimates that approximately 16,000 people will visit Gangjin by the end of August, with these teams as the main participants.

The Local Love Vacation Support Program is a scheme that reimburses a portion of travel expenses to tourists residing outside Gangjin County (excluding nearby cities and counties), in the form of the mobile Gangjin Love Gift Certificate (Chak). Gangjin County was the first to introduce this program, which has since been adopted as a national government-funded project.

This year, Gangjin County newly introduced support for solo youth travelers. If a young person visits Gangjin alone and spends at least 30,000 won, 70% of the amount spent, up to a maximum of 140,000 won, is refunded in the form of a mobile Gangjin Love Gift Certificate. For regular tourists, the program covers up to 100,000 won per individual and up to 200,000 won for teams of two or more, refunding 50% of their spending.

County Mayor Kang Jinwon stated, "The Half-Price Travel program was designed not only to support tourists but also to ensure that tourism spending is converted into sales for local small business owners and self-employed residents," adding, "We will strive to make Gangjin a place where visitors, local businesses, and residents are all satisfied."

Gangjin County plans to allocate an additional 2 billion won from the Local Extinction Response Fund in the second half of the year as a supplementary budget to relaunch the "Gangjin Anyone's Half-Price Travel" program.

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