Smart Tourism City No.1 'Incheon Gaehangjang' Opens in June

Panoramic view of the Incheon Open Port area.

[Asia Economy Reporter Donghyun Choi] The Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 15th that the first smart tourism city will officially open in the Incheon Open Port area in June.

The smart tourism city project is a service in which local governments and the private sector jointly participate to develop tourism content tailored to regional characteristics using smart technology and provide various customized tourism services to tourists. In September 2020, the Incheon Open Port area was selected as the first city. Public institutions such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization, Incheon Metropolitan City, and Incheon Tourism Organization, along with nine consortium companies, are currently in the final stages of preparation.

The Incheon smart tourism city travel requires the Incheon travel platform ‘Incheon eJi’. This platform integrates the five key elements of smart tourism (smart experience, smart convenience, smart service, smart platform, smart mobility) to provide services. Visitors can receive personalized travel course recommendations (restaurants, cafes, tourist attractions, mobility, etc.) based on individual preferences and types through an artificial intelligence (AI) survey. They can check congestion levels within the Open Port area and choose less crowded places to enjoy their trip. Additionally, simple reservation and payment are possible with just a mobile device, reducing the hassle of waiting in line at popular restaurants. A mobile post-tax refund service has also been established, allowing foreign tourists to receive immediate VAT refunds when paying through the platform.

In the Open Port area, visitors can enjoy fascinating and immersive time-travel content enhanced with smart technologies such as AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality). At Daebul Hotel, Korea’s first Western-style hotel, and various locations throughout the streets, historical figures are recreated through AR, acting like guides or narrators to explain stories related to the sites and assign missions to visitors, who receive rewards such as discount coupons upon completion. From the observatory at Jayu Park, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the Open Port as it appeared in the 19th century. At Jemulpo Club, famous as the filming location of the drama Goblin, visitors can experience immersive VR content that recreates a moment from the past in a drama format based on their location.

This year, a total of four smart tourism cities will be established, including Incheon Open Port, Daegu, Jeonnam, and one more location currently under public contest.

Kim Gwongi, head of the smart tourism project team at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "A total of 28 local governments applied for the 2021 new smart tourism city contest, which closed on the 11th, showing very high demand and enthusiasm," adding, "We will strive to enhance visitor convenience and experience satisfaction by providing personalized information based on smart technology and to ensure that the data-driven smart tourism ecosystem leads to regional economic revitalization."

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