Local Governments to Compete with Tourism Ideas... 'Rising Star of Korean Tourism' Launched

Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Ministry of the Interior and Safety Hold First Regional Tourism Policy Council Meeting
Collaboration Set for "Regional Tourism Innovation Idea Contest" in the Second Half of the Year

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have established a joint council to revitalize local economies through regional tourism.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety held the first meeting of the 'Regional Tourism Policy Council' on the 16th at the central building of the Government Complex Sejong to discuss measures for revitalizing the local economy through regional tourism. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that they held the inaugural meeting of the 'Regional Tourism Policy Council' at 9:30 a.m. on the 16th at the central building of the Government Complex Sejong, and are now formally operating their cooperation system. The council was launched based on a shared understanding that tourism is a key driver for revitalizing the local economy.

The council will be co-chaired by directors-general from both ministries. While the council will primarily address innovative regional tourism tasks for boosting local economies, it plans to flexibly adjust meeting formats depending on future agenda items.

At the first meeting, key areas for cooperation included: promoting the Resident-Led Tourism Saemaeul Movement, expanding the digital tourism resident ID system to boost the tourism-related population, supporting social solidarity economy-linked tourism businesses, and fostering collaboration between local public institutions and the Korea Tourism Organization. The two ministries also agreed to continuously identify ways to link regional tourism policies with measures to address local population decline.

The first collaborative pilot project will be the 'Regional Tourism Innovation Idea Contest,' to be held in the second half of this year. The contest is titled 'Rising Stars of Korean Tourism.' The initiative aims to encourage new local governments to independently develop tourism policies and content that reflect the unique characteristics of their areas, thereby invigorating the local economy.

Since 2010, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has recognized individuals and organizations that have contributed to the discovery of outstanding domestic tourism resources and the development of the tourism industry through the 'Star of Korean Tourism' program. This year, the program will be expanded and reorganized as a joint initiative with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Song Kyungju, Director General for Regional Finance and Economy at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Regional tourism, which creates opportunities for tourists to directly visit local areas, is a highly effective means to stimulate consumption and revitalize the local economy. Both ministries will work together so that creative tourism initiatives reflecting the characteristics of each locality can make these regions top destinations for visitors."

Kang Jungwon, Director General of the Tourism Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "A powerful driving force for shifting the focus from the capital area to local regions is essential for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as the lead ministry for tourism policy, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as the ministry supporting local governments, will collaborate to deliver tangible results that can be directly experienced in the field."

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