51 Billion Won for Traditional House Stays, 5 Billion for 'Second Hwangridan-gil'... National Heritage Stay Tourism Project Open for Applications

Applications Open for 10 'Stay' Sites and 3 'Landmark Revitalization' Projects
National Heritage Administration Reveals Assessment Criteria Including Historical Value and Scalability

National heritage, which was previously just seen and left behind, is transforming into a core resource for tourism that encourages visitors to stay and revitalizes the local economy.

A view of Hwangridan-gil in Gyeongju.

On September 8, the National Heritage Administration announced that it will be conducting an open call for local governments to select target sites for the newly initiated "National Heritage Stay Program" and "National Heritage-Based Landmark Revitalization Project" for the year 2027.

The Stay Program involves renovating traditional houses into premium accommodation hubs to increase visitors' length of stay and to unify the operation system. It is modeled after Spain's state-run Parador hotels. For the 2027 pilot project, approximately 10 sites will be selected, with a total investment of 5.1 billion won (around 410 million won allocated for facility renovation per site, and up to 100 million won for content development, with costs shared 50:50 by central and local governments). While preserving the original form of the national heritage, amenities such as heating and cooling, electricity and fire safety systems, and restrooms will be improved. Additionally, an integrated brand certification, unified reservation platform, and marketing system will be established.

In addition, the project will go beyond individual traditional houses to link heritage sites, alleyways, and traditional markets into cohesive pedestrian areas, fostering bustling local economies. The aim is to spread a model of commercial district revitalization centered on heritage and hanok landscapes—such as seen in Gyeongju Hwangridan-gil—across the country. In 2027, a pilot program will be launched in three regions, providing a total of 500 million won in national funding over two years. The goal is to establish ten "second Hwangridan-gil" districts nationwide by 2031.

The National Heritage Administration plans to hold a briefing session for local governments on September 15, and will accept applications from October 12 to 28, with the final selection to take place in early December. The Stay Program will be assessed with a focus on the historical significance of the national heritage, spatial appeal, suitability as accommodation, content planning capabilities, on-site operational competence, and the potential for local community collaboration and sustainability. The Landmark Revitalization Project will be evaluated based on the attractiveness of the national heritage, scalability, potential to expand visitor stays and commercial districts, strength of public-private partnership networks among residents and merchants, potential for collaboration with other ministries, and the feasibility of project implementation.

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