Designation of 'Cultural and Arts Tourism Special Zone' in Hongdae Area, Mapo-gu... Benefits Including Relaxed Restaurant Operating Hours Restrictions

Two Years of District Efforts for Special Zone Designation Bear Fruit: Seoul's 7th Tourism Special Zone Established... Up to 100 Million KRW Subsidy for Tourism Special Zone Revitalization, Legal Exceptions Granted... Public-Private Cooperation to Revitalize Tourism Industry and Propel Global City Status

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yudonggyun) has reaped the fruits of its efforts since 2020 to establish a tourism special zone around the Hongdae area.

The district announced on the 2nd that the Hongdae area (1.13㎢), which boasts diverse urban tourism resources such as culture and arts, tourism, shopping, and unique streets, has been designated and officially announced as the "Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone."

This designation of the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone is the seventh in Seoul following Itaewon, Myeongdong·Namdaemun·Bukchang, Dongdaemun Fashion Town, Jongno·Cheonggye, Jamsil, and Gangnam, and the 34th nationwide.

Yudonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, "Through the designation of the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone, we have firmly established the brand value of 'Mapo, the City of Culture and Arts' and laid the foundation to leap forward as an international culture and arts tourism city. In particular, we expect it to revitalize the tourism industry, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, by attracting foreign tourists, improving global city recognition, and enhancing tourism infrastructure."

With this tourism special zone designation, the district will be able to receive up to 100 million won in subsidies from Seoul City for the activation of tourism special zones.

Special exceptions under the Tourism Promotion Act and other related laws will also be granted. Accordingly, relaxed applications will be applied to existing car-free streets, restaurant business hour restrictions, and outdoor advertising permit standards, and performances will be allowed in public open spaces.

To designate the Hongdae area as a tourism special zone, the district began by establishing a "Tourism Special Zone Designation Promotion Plan" in June 2020, followed by feasibility studies in August of the same year, and a Seoul City research study on the suitability of the special zone designation in March 2021, maintaining continuous consultations with related agencies such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Seoul City.

In particular, to actively reflect residents' opinions, which could be directly affected by the designation, resident briefings have been held since July 2020, the month following the establishment of the related promotion plan, continuously gathering opinions from local residents, cultural artists, and tourism industry workers.

Now, the district plans to establish a detailed implementation plan for the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone and promote 15 unit projects and 32 detailed projects in five major areas, including improving tourism convenience facilities and discovering tourism content, by 2026.

Among them, by focusing on promoting the "365 Festival Street in Hongdae," the district will nurture local artists and actively support the discovery of cultural and artistic content through public-private cooperation. Additionally, it has set a roadmap to develop tourism courses linked not only to the Hongdae area but also to neighboring areas, creating a tourism belt throughout Mapo-gu.

Furthermore, centered on the special zone area, the district plans to expand tourism infrastructure such as various guide maps, pamphlets, and signboards for domestic and international tourists, and launch a tourism special zone promotion council composed of local residents, tourism industry workers, and cultural and artistic organizations.

The criteria for designating a tourism special zone are ▲ a minimum of 500,000 foreign tourists in the past year in the area ▲ availability of tourism information facilities, public convenience facilities, and accommodation facilities to meet foreign tourists' demands ▲ less than 10% of land unrelated to tourism activities ▲ and the designated areas must not be separated from each other.

Yudonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, "The success of the tourism industry is impossible without public-private cooperation. Based on Mapo's cultural and artistic content and modern charm, we will implement regional tourism policies where both local residents and tourists can coexist. We will provide unwavering support so that Mapo-gu can further nurture local culture and arts, restore the city's tourism competitiveness, and take a step forward through this tourism special zone designation."

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