Korea Tourism Organization Selects '10 Safe Outings in Gyeongnam' with Thorough Quarantine Measures

A panoramic view of Jinju Fortress, selected as one of the top 10 safe outing tourist destinations in Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] Amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic that has severely impacted the tourism industry, efforts to establish safe travel destinations in collaboration with active quarantine experts are gaining momentum.

The Korea Tourism Organization's Gyeongnam Branch announced the ‘Top 10 Safe Outings in Gyeongnam’ on the 1st to promote the normalization of travel quarantine and find opportunities to restore the local tourism ecosystem.

These top 10 destinations were selected by leveraging Gyeongsangnam-do’s advantage of having significantly fewer COVID-19 cases per capita compared to the national average, creating an environment that minimizes infectious disease transmission and thoroughly establishing quarantine systems. Most importantly, quarantine specialists directly participated in setting the selection criteria and conducting on-site evaluations to enhance the credibility of travel safety.

Professor Yunsik Kang of Gyeongsang National University’s Department of Preventive Medicine (advisory member of the Korea Tourism Organization’s quarantine division), who established the quarantine standards and participated in on-site assessments, stated, “Although vaccine and treatment development are progressing actively, it is expected to take considerable time before all citizens can enjoy travel as freely as before. Rather than waiting indefinitely for the end of COVID-19, I agreed with the purpose of managing spaces where people can travel safely based on thorough quarantine measures and joined this project.” He added, “As a quarantine expert, I intend to continue playing the necessary role.”

The 10 tourist destinations selected as safe outings are △ Jinju Jinju Fortress △ Namhae German Village △ Tongyeong Dipirang △ Hapcheon Film Theme Park △ Gimhae Gaya Theme Park △ Changwon Jinhae Marine Park △ Hadong Samsunggung △ Geoje Naedo △ Goseong Danghangpo Tourist Site △ Sacheon Sea Cable Car. These areas strictly adhere to social distancing in daily life considering visitor entry and movement, and all spaces and facilities are managed through quarantine systems including ventilation, disinfection, and placement of quarantine managers.

The Korea Tourism Organization, which planned this campaign, is prioritizing the establishment of a permanent quarantine system at these tourist sites in cooperation with Gyeongsangnam-do and relevant local governments by deploying safety assistants, conducting quarantine education, and regularly inspecting quarantine readiness.

Park Cheolbeom, head of the Korea Tourism Organization’s Gyeongnam Branch, said, “This project focuses more on spreading a culture where the tourism industry takes the lead in creating safe tourist destinations rather than simply attracting many tourists. We will present a new model for creating safe travel destinations so that Korea can become a global exemplary case in tourism quarantine.”

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