"From Overseas to Domestic" ... Local Governments Strive to Revive the 'Tourism Industry'

Support for Small Business Livelihoods in Travel and Accommodation Industries... Thorough Quarantine Management Maintained

Due to the decrease in tourists caused by COVID-19, the Tancheon Parking Lot in Songpa-gu, Seoul was filled with tour buses last March. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] To alleviate the management difficulties faced by the tourism industry due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and to revive the local economy, various local governments are introducing diverse crisis response measures. As overseas travel has become difficult, they are competing to attract tourists through various incentives to boost domestic tourism, while also strengthening quarantine management to ensure tourists can visit with peace of mind.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on the 22nd, Incheon Metropolitan City is planning the "Enjoy Incheon for 9,900 Won" event to support the recovery of sales for lodging businesses with high vacancy rates due to COVID-19 and to create a tourism boom in Incheon. During the lodging off-season from the 6th to the 18th of next month, hotel accommodation fees will be significantly discounted, selling lodging vouchers worth about 100,000 won for 9,900 won on a first-come, first-served basis. The difference in lodging fees will be compensated by the 18 participating lodging businesses and Incheon City at a 1 to 9 ratio.

Gwangju Metropolitan City will expand support for bus vehicle costs from the previous maximum of 800,000 won to 1,200,000 won when travel agencies attract tourists with groups of 20 or more. Additionally, when groups of five or more tourists use designated lodging facilities, they will receive an additional 10,000 won per person for lodging fees and 10% of meal costs.

Gangwon Province has developed the "Clean Gangwon Passport" public app to electronically manage individual temperature status and visit history when visiting service industry stores such as lodging, food, and beverages within the province. As of the 13th, over 3,200 businesses have already joined as members, and the plan is to involve 10,000 tourist and crowded facilities within the year to quickly respond to confirmed cases, aiming to simultaneously achieve "activation of domestic tourism and quarantine management."

As the local tourism industry shrinks, increasing the economic difficulties of small business owners in related sectors such as travel, lodging, and restaurants, various measures to support livelihoods are also being implemented.

Busan Metropolitan City, as part of the "Travel Industry Crisis Overcoming Project," has formed a "Private Tourism Expert Monitoring Inspection Team" consisting of 75 people including cultural tourism interpreters and tourist guides. They are intensively inspecting and maintaining tourism infrastructure such as guide signs, restrooms, public transportation, and promotional materials near 170 major tourist sites and 443 cultural heritage sites. Busan City explains that this is to prepare for the tourism boom after the end of COVID-19 while also providing temporary jobs.

Seocheon County in Chungnam plans to compensate small business sales through campaigns such as the "Wearing Mosi Clothes Challenge" and the "Hansan Mosi Craft Village Revitalization Event" after the cancellation of the local representative festival "Hansan Mosi Cultural Festival" due to COVID-19. Namhae County in Gyeongnam is expanding sales channels for local farmers by operating a marketplace for agricultural special products instead of the "Treasure Island Garlic & Hanwoo Festival."

Ko Gyu-chang, Director of the Local Finance and Economy Office at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said, "The service industry, especially the travel industry, is facing great difficulties due to COVID-19," adding, "We hope that the efforts of local governments to activate domestic tourism combined with the advanced quarantine awareness of the public will gradually improve the local economic situation."

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