“Invest in Gyeongnam Tourism” ... 2026 International Tourism Investment Attraction Conference

Gyeongsangnam-do has begun efforts to attract both domestic and foreign investment by promoting the province's tourism resources and investment potential, from the southern coast to Jirisan. The province is working to connect tourism development projects with potential investors.

On September 9, Gyeongsangnam-do held the '2026 Gyeongsangnam-do International Tourism Investment Attraction Conference (GITIC 2026)' at the Convention Hall of the Changwon Convention Center (CECO).

This biennial event, first launched in 2024, brought together over 200 participants—including Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do; Park Jun, Chairman of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council; Kim Tae-hyung, CEO of Invest KOREA; as well as representatives from Singapore's GSBB Horizon Fund, Vietnam's FLC Group, Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, Sono International, and other domestic and international hotel, tourism, and investment organizations.

Among them, 40 international attendees from 20 countries participated, marking an increase compared to 31 participants from 10 countries in 2024.

The '2026 Gyeongnam International Tourism Investment Promotion Seminar (GITIC 2026)' is taking place at the Convention Hall of Changwon Convention Center (CECO) in Gyeongnam.
Photo by Gyeongnam Province

The event included a keynote presentation, a session on Gyeongsangnam-do's tourism investment strategy, case studies from investment companies, awards for outstanding investment companies, and customized one-on-one investment consultations.

Gyeongsangnam-do introduced 10 potential investment sites, divided between the Southern Coast Area and the Jirisan Area, for review by domestic and overseas investors.

The Southern Coast Area includes: ▲ Namhae Diet Treasure Island (Jodo) ▲ Goseong Jarando ▲ The former shipyard site in Tongyeong ▲ Hadong Marine Tourism Site ▲ Geoje Welliv Hotel Site.

The Jirisan Area includes: ▲ Hapcheon Secondary Dam Tourism Site ▲ Hamyang Baekyeon Recreation Area ▲ Sancheong Sincheon-ri Bamboo Forest ▲ The former interchange (IC) site in Haman ▲ Changnyeong Bugok Hawaii.

Governor Park Wansu of Gyeongnam Province (right) is explaining Gyeongnam's tourist resources and investment potential to foreign investors at the '2026 Gyeongnam International Tourism Investment Invitation Briefing (GITIC 2026)'.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Province]

Ten cities and counties within the province operated promotional booths to provide information about each site's development direction, business conditions, and investment environment.

One-on-one investment consultations were held between domestic and foreign investors and representatives from each city and county, resulting in negotiations for individual investments, including 12 pre-matched cases, and were linked with onsite tours.

From September 10 to 11, Gyeongsangnam-do is conducting site tours of the 10 investment destinations for approximately 30 pre-registered participants.

The tours are divided into two routes—Southern Coast Area and Jirisan Area—allowing investors to assess each site’s location advantages, accessibility, and surrounding tourism resources in person. City and county officials are accompanying the tours to provide guidance and facilitate follow-up investment consultations.

Governor Park Wansoo of Gyeongnam Province is delivering a greeting at the '2026 Gyeongnam International Tourism Investment Attraction Briefing (GITIC 2026)'.
Photo by Gyeongnam Province

Governor Park Wansu emphasized, "To develop coastal tourism as a new growth engine for South Korea and Gyeongsangnam-do, it is essential to improve accessibility, relax regulations, and attract investment."

He added, "We must link Gyeongsangnam-do's tourism resources to actual projects through enhancement of transportation infrastructure such as roads, railways, and ports, as well as improvements in investment conditions. I hope this serves as an opportunity for both domestic and foreign investors to recognize Gyeongsangnam-do's growth potential and discover new investment opportunities."

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