Naju-si Accelerates Revitalization of Rural Experience and Recreation Villages

[Naju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Han-hyuk Lee] Naju City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Kang In-gyu) announced on the 28th that it will revitalize the operation of rural experience and recreation villages this year, supported by selections in various public contest projects aimed at fostering rural tourism experience content in the post-COVID-19 era.

Rural experience and recreation villages are communities developed as spaces for experience and relaxation tailored to the diverse demands of urban residents. By discovering and nurturing tourism, experience, and recreation content reflecting the unique characteristics of each village, they contribute to increasing farm household income and forming rural communities.

The city currently operates seven rural experience and recreation villages: Wanggok Deoksil, Eco Wanggok, Munpyeong Myeongha Jjokbit, Sanpo Hongryeon, Seji Hwatap, Noan Iseulchon, and Noan Geuman Hangeul.

These villages have been selected for multiple public contest projects hosted by central government ministries, Jeollanam-do, and Naju City this year, and plan to operate tourism and experience content suited to the post-COVID-19 era.

Myeongha Jjokbit and Eco Wanggok villages were selected for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ new project this year, the ‘Small-scale Rural Experience Program Development Project.’ This project targets small-scale family travelers rather than large travel groups, aligning with the post-COVID-19 era.

Each selected village will receive up to 20 million KRW in full national funding, which will be used for consulting, material costs, and content development expenses to create small-scale rural tourism and experience content.

Sanpo Hongryeon and Wanggok Deoksil villages were selected as target villages for the ‘Rural Experience and Recreation Village Revitalization Support Project’ hosted by Jeollanam-do. Through this, they will develop distinctive programs to enhance tourist satisfaction, promote urban resident attraction, renovate aging facilities, and expand convenience facilities.

Seji Hwatap and Eco Wanggok villages will be featured in ‘Namdo Jangteo,’ Jeollanam-do’s online marketplace launching this year as the nation’s first to offer non-food rural experience tourism products.

The city expects this to be a great help to rural village communities struggling with decreased visitors, responding to tourism trends favoring nature tourism and safe travel in the COVID-19 era.

Additionally, ‘non-face-to-face experience kits’ reflecting the unique characteristics of each village will be developed and distributed to applicants, and online experience and tourism will be conducted using video platforms such as Zoom and YouTube.

Mayor Kang In-gyu said, “Interest and demand for mental and physical health, healing, and relaxation are increasing as people grow weary from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that the selection in multiple public contest projects will bring vitality and income to the depressed rural areas.”

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