Gyeongbuk Pohang-si Drives Local Tourism Industry Revitalization Through Popular Drama

Cheongha Market, Cheongjin-ri Beach, and Guryongpo Seokbyeong-ri Transformed into Tourist Attractions
Local Settings 'When the Camellias Bloom' and 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' Filming Locations Become Famous Spots

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, riding the wave of increased tourists visiting the area thanks to a popular drama, held a working-level meeting on the 15th to promote the filming locations of the tvN drama 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' as tourist attractions. The city is accelerating efforts to establish detailed implementation plans to maintain the sustained tourism flow even after the drama's conclusion.

The city plans to develop and promote connected tourist courses around key filming locations featured in the drama, including Cheongha Market in Cheongha-myeon, Pohang City (depicted as Gongjin Market in the drama), Cheongjin-ri Beach (Yoon Dental Clinic), Guryongpo Seokbyeong-ri, and Sabang Memorial Park, to respond to the rapidly increasing tourism demand.

To this end, the city will link major filming sites into a tourist course by installing signboards and photo spots, providing detailed information to visitors. Additionally, starting from the 18th, a new 'Gaetcha (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) Course,' a romance-themed healing travel route, will be newly established and operated on weekdays as part of the Pohang City Tour course.

Within Cheongha Market, where filming locations are concentrated, plans include expanding parking facilities, installing night lighting, security CCTV, environmental maintenance, and increasing quarantine personnel.

The city is preparing various events using Pohang City's SNS and developing unique local foods at filming sites to attract fandoms of the drama's characters to visit the area and encourage direct consumption.

Since 2019, when the drama 'When the Camellia Blooms' achieved the highest viewership rating (23.8%), Pohang's major tourist sites such as Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park, Gwibigo, Homigot Coastal Trail, and Homigot Hand of Coexistence have continuously attracted visitors.

On the 13th of next month, a 'Kite Flying Festival' event for hope and overcoming COVID-19 will be held at Yeonorang Seonyeo Theme Park. Following that, on the 13th and 14th, the 'Pohang Homigot Peninsula Trail Walking' event will take place, along with the 'Pohang International Fireworks Festival' and 'K-POP Festival,' which were canceled last year due to COVID-19.

Lee Kang-deok, Mayor of Pohang, said, “As domestic travel enters a new golden age and trips to filming locations in dramas gain popularity, I hope the tourism industry, which was stagnated due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will take off again.”

He added, “We will reassess the current status of the local tourism industry in light of the paradigm shift in tourism and seek progressive alternatives for the development of the local tourism industry suitable for the with-COVID-19 era.”

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