Changwon City, "Gunhangje Festival Canceled Due to COVID-19... Please Refrain from Visiting"

Condolence Letter Sent to Domestic and International Travel Agencies in the Name of Changwon Mayor

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kang Sharon] Changwon City in Gyeongnam announced on the 18th that it encouraged travel agencies struggling with a decrease in visitors after canceling the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, a spring flower festival visited by millions every year.

According to Changwon City, Mayor Heo Seong-moo has been sending letters of consolation and encouragement to about 22,300 domestic and international travel agencies facing difficulties due to entry restrictions and other measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) since the 16th.

In the letter, Mayor Heo stated, "We decided to cancel the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival, a representative local festival that has played a vital role in the local economy every year, as we judged that focusing on early containment of COVID-19 spread is a better way to protect the happiness of our citizens," and asked for the travel agencies' understanding.

He added, "We will seek various support measures, such as providing incentives to travel agencies that attract tourists during upcoming events like the Changwon K-POP Festival, the Masan Chrysanthemum Festival, and the Jinhae Gunhangje Festival next year," and encouraged them by saying, "We hope you overcome this difficult time well."

Mayor Heo also added a request to "refrain from visiting the Jinhae area to prevent the spread of infection."

The city is participating in the 'social distancing' campaign to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by hanging banners throughout Jinhae district urging people to "refrain from visiting Jinhae due to the cancellation of the Gunhangje Festival."

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