Found Solutions to Regional Decline with Tourism Data... 'TURN:STAY' Wins Grand Prize at Poster Contest

KCTI Receives 102 Entries for ‘Tourism Data Analysis Poster Contest’
Proposing Stay-Oriented Transformation Models for Depopulating Areas Using National Travel Survey Data

The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute has concluded the '2026 Tourism Data Analysis Poster Contest,' which focused on analyzing local tourism issues and proposing policy ideas by utilizing tourism-related data.

On the 17th, award winners and officials are taking a commemorative photo at the award ceremony of the "2026 Tourism Knowledge Information System Tourism Data Analysis Poster Contest" held at the first-floor auditorium of the National Institute of the Korean Language. A total of 102 entries were submitted to this contest, and six teams were awarded. Korea Culture and Tourism Institute

The Korea Culture and Tourism Institute announced on the 17th that it held the contest’s finals and awards ceremony at the 1st floor auditorium of the National Institute of the Korean Language. The contest was structured to analyze regional tourism phenomena and suggest policy alternatives, using key data from the Tourism Knowledge Information System managed by the institute, such as the National Travel Survey, the Foreign Visitor Survey, and the Tourism Industry Survey.

A total of 102 entries were submitted, and 6 teams advanced to the finals. Participants exhibited posters showcasing their analysis results and policy proposals, and engaged in Q&A sessions with judges and attendees. Based on the judges' evaluations and on-site voting, one team received the Grand Prize, one team received the Excellence Award, two teams received Merit Awards, and two teams received Encouragement Awards. The winners were presented with the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute President's Award and a total prize money of 8 million won.

The Grand Prize went to Team Yeongbi for their project, "A Transformation Model for Depopulating Areas: TURN:STAY." Consisting of Park Seyoung, Paek Dongmin, and Pyeon Hanbi, Team Yeongbi analyzed 2025 National Travel Survey data and proposed a model to shift tourism in depopulating regions from a visit-oriented to a stay-oriented approach.

The Excellence Award was given to Park Yujin for the project, "Branding Strategy for Local Tourist Destinations in the Era of UGC." The Merit Awards went to Team Startlink’s "People Visit, but Why Don’t They Stay?" and Team Ujuui Jeongseok’s "Who Are the Foreigners Leaving Seoul?" Both projects analyzed the regional disparities in converting visitors into overnight stays and the movement patterns of foreign tourists, respectively, in order to identify ways to invigorate local tourism.

The Encouragement Awards were given to Team Onuldo Seongjang for "Assessment of Climate Stress, Changing Tourism Patterns, and Regional Tourism Climate Resilience Based on Weather Data," and to Heo Jiwoo for "TOURUN: Strategies to Promote Run-cations for Revitalizing Regional Tourism." The finals featured a diverse set of data-driven ideas addressing current local tourism issues, including stay tourism, dispersal of foreign tourists to various regions, climate change, and running tourism.

Hwang Kyoik, President of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, stated, "This was an opportunity to directly analyze tourism data, examine the current state and challenges in local tourism, and propose a range of policy ideas. I hope the ideas put forward will serve as meaningful reference materials for the creation of future data-driven tourism policies."

The six award-winning works will be released through the Tourism Knowledge Information System operated by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute. Launched in 2002, the Tourism Knowledge Information System provides tourism statistics, policy materials, research findings, and more.

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