"Half-Price Fares for All Visitors"…Wando Resumes Island Passenger Ship Fare Support

Five Islands Including Cheongsando and Bogildo: 50% Discount for Non-Residents

Over 200,000 Visitors in First Half of the Year

Linked to the Yeosu World Island Expo

On September 3, Wando County in South Jeolla Province announced that it will resume its "Half-Price Passenger Ship Fare Support Program for General Visitors" starting from September 5, to reduce the transportation cost burden for tourists and invigorate island tourism and the local economy.

This program supports 50% of the passenger ship fare for general visitors who are not registered residents of Wando County when visiting five islands—Cheongsando, Cheongsan Yeoseodo, Nowha (Neopdo), Soando, and Bogildo. However, terminal usage fees and vehicle fares are excluded from the support coverage.

Notice on Half-Price Fare Support for Passenger Ships to Wando County Islands

Existing discount recipients, such as national merit holders, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities, will receive the support on top of the basic discount, with an additional 50% off the remaining fare after the initial discount. The program schedule was decided through discussions between Wando County, the Korea Shipping Association, and ferry operators. After its initial launch on April 1, the program was temporarily suspended on June 8, but it is now being relaunched in line with the schedule of the "2026 Yeosu World Island Expo."

During the first phase of the program, which ran for 67 days from April 1 to June 7, approximately 671 million won in fare subsidies was provided to a total of 207,460 people using funds such as the Local Extinction Response Fund. This marks a significant increase in beneficiaries compared to last year, when 41,810 people (about 220 million won) received benefits over a 31-day period.

With the resumption of the program, Wando County expects that the increase in island visitors will greatly contribute to revitalizing the local commercial district. An official stated, "We hope visitors can enjoy attractive island trips to Wando, such as the slow city Cheongsando and the anti-Japanese resistance island Soando, without the burden of passenger fares thanks to the support."

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