Sokcho City, Attracting 26 Million Tourists, Seeks to Draw More Foreign Visitors through Yangyang Airport Collaboration

Proposal to Develop Joint Tourism Products in Gangwon and Strengthen Global Marketing
Plans to Introduce Dedicated Foreign Tourist Shuttles Connecting Yangyang Airport and Sokcho Attractions

Sokcho City in Gangwon Province, which attracts 26 million tourists annually, has begun efforts to increase the number of foreign tourists by linking with Yangyang International Airport.

Sokcho City attended the "Regional Airport-Linked Local Tourism Revitalization Cooperation Forum" hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at Yangyang International Airport on the 7th. They proposed the development of joint tourism products for the Gangwon region and the establishment of a wide-area transportation system for foreign tourists, followed by a commemorative photo. Provided by Sokcho City

Sokcho City attended the "Regional Airport-Linked Local Tourism Revitalization Cooperation Forum" hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism at Yangyang International Airport on September 7, where they proposed joint tourism product development and the establishment of a metropolitan transportation system for foreign tourists in the Gangwon region.

According to Sokcho City, the number of visitors to Sokcho last year was 26,004,960, an increase of 4.9% from the previous year. Among them, foreign visitors accounted for 336,197, representing 1.3% of all tourists.

Sokcho boasts tourism assets such as Seoraksan Mountain, Sokcho Tourist & Fisheries Market, Sokcho Beach, Abai Village, Cheoksan Hot Springs, and over 400 accommodation facilities. However, the city believes that to attract more foreign tourists, it is necessary to adopt a strategy that bundles Yangyang International Airport and Gangwon’s tourist destinations into a single tourism zone.

The city first proposed the development of joint tourism products involving nearby cities and counties, travel agencies, and airlines. Sokcho asserted that overseas marketing efforts centered only on individual local governments are not enough to draw large numbers of foreign tourists in connection with Yangyang International Airport routes.

Sokcho also decided to strengthen joint marketing targeting the regions served by Yangyang International Airport, utilizing local travel agencies and global online travel platforms. Sokcho requested financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province for tourism product development and global marketing, and requested that the Korea Tourism Organization support promotional activities in collaboration with global travel platforms.

Sokcho proposed the introduction of dedicated shuttle buses for foreign tourists circulating among major tourist destinations in Gangwon, including Yangyang International Airport and Sokcho.

Currently, buses connecting Sokcho Intercity Bus Terminal and Yangyang International Airport operate twice daily. However, if flight arrival times do not match bus schedules, travelers face inconvenience due to long waits or the need for transfers.

Sokcho City plans to operate the shuttle buses flexibly in line with flight schedules and to install multilingual route maps and timetables at the airport and main pick-up and drop-off points, enabling foreign tourists to travel conveniently to destinations immediately upon arrival.

Lee Byung-seon, Mayor of Sokcho, stated, "To vitalize Yangyang International Airport, it is essential to create a structure in which arriving tourists can conveniently travel to, stay at, and spend money in Gangwon’s tourist destinations, not just to expand routes. We will work to secure the support of the central government and related organizations so that neighboring cities and counties, together with airlines and the travel industry, can jointly develop tourism products and establish a transportation system."

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