"Decline in Tourists and Hotel Deficits"...Haenam County Council Delivers Stern Criticism to Tourism Office

Analysis of Declining Visitor Numbers and Call for Public Management of the Museum
Serious Deficits at Uldolmok Hotel Draw Criticism for Complacent Administration
Proactive Response to Disaster Risks and Proposal for Healing Tourism at Western Ttangkkeut

On September 3, the Administrative and Autonomy Committee of the Haenam County Council conducted an administrative audit of the work overseen by the Tourism Office. During the session, the committee criticized the executive branch, pointing out that major tourism projects, despite their large budgets, had failed to deliver effective results.

The audit focused on sharp observations concerning the analysis of declining visitor numbers, the troubled operation of the Uldolmok Hotel, and risk management in disaster-prone areas, all of which were highlighted as core issues raised by council members.

The Administrative and Autonomy Committee of Haenam County Council conducted an administrative audit targeting the Tourism Office's related duties. Provided by Haenam County Council

Increase in Budget but Drop in Visitors and Operating Deficits Criticized...Thorough Cause Analysis Demanded

Councilwoman Roh Jeonghee raised concerns about the sharp decline in visitor numbers at key tourist spots, despite tens of billions of won being allocated annually to tourism promotion budgets.

She stated, "The data from automated counters clearly shows a decrease in tourists. Rather than simply blaming the heat wave, a thorough analysis of the causes, including benchmarking against other local governments, needs to be conducted first."

She further pointed out the continued injection of county funds into the privately operated Ttangkkeut Marine Natural History Museum, which currently operates as a private museum. She called for a comprehensive review of whether a long-term transition to a public institution is appropriate and requested a report to the council.

Councilwoman Kim Mikyung delved into the poor operational performance of the Uldolmok Hotel (Uldol Sori). She remarked, "This year's projected revenue was set at 1.2 billion won, but as of July, sales have not even reached 500 million won." She criticized, "Despite the clearly anticipated structural limitations such as a shortage of rooms, the initial feasibility study's projections were so far from the reality of operations, which is a result of the county administration's complacency."

She urged, "Instead of simply delegating the operation of public facilities and taking a hands-off approach, the executive branch must maintain continuous interest and come up with revitalization measures." Consequently, the committee chairman requested the submission of all materials and documents related to the feasibility study and the project.

Councilwoman Lee Seongok emphasized the connection between safety issues and the tourism infrastructure. Referring to landslide risks in the cluster of accommodations at the lower Ttangkkeut Park area, she stated, "Given the increasing frequency of localized heavy rains due to the climate crisis, proactive safety measures such as reviewing advance site acquisition are necessary."

She also proposed that the council actively develop stay-type healing tourism programs, such as the western Ttangkkeut "Coastal Trail," which differentiates itself from the southern Ttangkkeut of Songho-ri, in relation to the Mokpo-gu Lighthouse area tourism development project.

Tourism Office Director Kim Kyungja: "Will Analyze the Impact of Heat Waves and Seek Improvements"

In response to the continued criticisms from the council members, Kim Kyungja, Director of the Tourism Office, stated, "We believe that changes in weather conditions, such as heat waves, have had an impact on the decrease in tourist numbers, and we will analyze this thoroughly in the future." Regarding the demand for transitioning the museum to public operation, she replied, "We are considering efficient improvements over the long-term in response to related public concerns."

Concerning the deficit at the Uldolmok Hotel, she explained, "There are structural limitations due to the insufficient number of rooms. While professional outsourcing is efficient, the county will also work collaboratively to seek ways to improve profitability." Regarding the disaster-prone areas and the western Ttangkkeut coastal trail proposal, she said, "Although land acquisition did not materialize, we are discussing safety measures such as waterway improvement projects, and we agree that tourism policy should focus more on scenery and healing content rather than rapid development."

On this day, Committee Chairman Lee Jeonghwak concluded by urging the rationalization of projects with similar names across departments, a reevaluation of responsibilities for museum-related work, and improvement of public relations strategies, including accurate spacing in the name “Mokpo-gu Lighthouse.”

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