Sacheon’s Mado Island Wins Excellence Award for One-Night, Two-Day Stay-Based Tourism Model

Selected as an outstanding case in an evaluation involving 31 islands nationwide; recognized for achievements in resident-led tourism
Developed a one-night, two-day stay-based tourism model combining glamping, local food, and ecological experiences

Sacheon City in South Gyeongsang Province announced that Mado Island, within its jurisdiction, won an Excellence Award at the 2026 Island Regional Specialization Project Best Practices Results-Sharing Meeting, organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Island Development Institute.

The event, held in Yeosu City on November 2, was attended by 31 islands from across the country. Mado Island received an Excellence Award and prize money of 800,000 won in recognition of its performance in operating stay-based tourism projects built on resident participation.

[Photo courtesy of Sacheon City] Officials pose for a commemorative photo after Mado in Sacheon City won an Excellence Award at the 2026 Island Region Specialization Project Best Practices Conference.

The evaluation involved a comprehensive review of project implementation results, resident participation, and the potential for future expansion through document and presentation reviews.

Under the theme of “Resident-Operated Stay-Based Island Tourism,” Mado Island has run tourism programs using existing tourism facilities.

In particular, moving beyond the conventional tourism model centered on glamping accommodations, it developed a one-night, two-day stay-based tourism program combining local food experiences, including “Mado Hansang,” with ecological activities and sales of village merchandise.

Residents also formed an operations team and established a system in which they directly take part in welcoming tourists, running programs, selling products, and settling revenues.

The resident-led approach to operating the project and the expansion of tourism content using existing facilities are reported to have received positive reviews in the evaluation.

Following Mado Island, Sacheon City is also carrying out related projects on Jeodo Island, which was selected in 2025 as a site for the Island Regional Specialization Project.

The city plans to draw on Mado Island’s project operations as a model and support the expansion of resident-led tourism projects on other islands in its jurisdiction.

A Sacheon City official said, “The stay-based tourism project, carried out with residents’ direct participation, was recognized for its results in this evaluation,” adding, “We will continue providing administrative support to expand the tourism infrastructure on Mado Island and other islands in our jurisdiction.”

Attention is focused on whether Mado Island’s resident-led tourism model will lead to sustained growth in visitor numbers and increased resident income.

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