Promotion of a 1.02㎢ Tourist Zone in Seogyo-dong near Hongdae, Mapo-gu

Restoring the Tourism Ecosystem in Hongdae Area... Global Cultural Tourism City 'Stirs'... Promoting a 1.02㎢ Tourist Zone in Seogyo-dong near Hongdae, Including Parts of Sangsu-dong and Hapjeong-dong

Night View Around Hongdae Area

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) plans to designate the Hongdae area, a representative tourist destination in Seoul, as a tourism special zone to revitalize the tourism industry.

The district aims to establish the Hongdae area, known for its culture, arts, shopping, and tourism, as a hub for Mapo tourism, restoring the increasingly declining local tourism ecosystem and leaping forward as a global cultural tourism city.

According to the plan, the district will begin the resident briefing session for the designation of the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone in Mapo-gu on the 27th, followed by related surveys and resident opinion collection procedures. By October, a feasibility study for the designation of the Hongdae area as a tourism special zone will be conducted, and after consultations with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the application for designation of the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone is planned for November.

The target area for the special zone is approximately 1.02 square kilometers in the Seogyo-dong area of Hongdae, including parts of Sangsu-dong and Hapjeong-dong, with the scope to be finalized based on the results of the feasibility study for the tourism special zone designation.

The criteria for designation as a tourism special zone are ▲ the number of foreign tourists in the area exceeding 500,000 in the past year ▲ the presence of tourist information facilities, public convenience facilities, and accommodation facilities sufficient to meet the tourism demand of foreign tourists ▲ the proportion of land not directly related to tourism activities being less than 10% ▲ and the designated areas meeting the above requirements not being separated from each other.

According to the 2019 big data analysis of Mapo-gu, 5.67 million foreign tourists, accounting for 40% of all visitors to Seoul, visited Mapo-gu, meeting all the requirements for designation as a tourism special zone.

If designated as a tourism special zone, public convenience facilities, accommodation facilities, cultural and sports facilities, and commercial facilities within the zone can receive loans or subsidies from the Tourism Promotion Development Fund of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and financial support such as tourism special zone revitalization subsidies from the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Additionally, legal applications related to tourism activities will be relaxed, expecting activation in service guidance systems and promotion. For example, effects such as the creation of car-free streets, relaxation of restrictions on outdoor business and outdoor advertising permit standards, and performances in public open spaces are anticipated to enhance tourism.

The district plans to introduce policies to revitalize tourism, such as expanding the attraction of foreign tourists, improving tourism infrastructure, and developing tourism courses linked with surrounding areas once the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone designation is realized.

Dutch University Students Hongdae Fam Tour

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We are preparing for the leap of Mapo’s tourism industry, which has become even more stagnant due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” and added, “We will do our best to revitalize the tourism industry and the local economy through the designation of the Hongdae Tourism Special Zone.”

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