'Heal Through Travel' Korea Wellness Tourism Festa Held

From the 1st to the 31st of next month, tourism product discounts and free experience events will be held

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 20th that they will hold the "2022 Korea Wellness Tourism Festa" from the 1st to the 31st of next month to promote domestic wellness tourism facilities and resources and to revitalize related industries. Photo by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] A 'wellness tourism' festival, which heals and restores the body and mind through travel, will be held.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 20th that they will hold the '2022 Korea Wellness Tourism Festa' from the 1st to the 31st of next month to promote domestic wellness tourism facilities and resources and revitalize related industries.

In its second year, this festival will feature 'recommended wellness tourism destinations' selected by the Ministry and the Tourism Organization, along with participation from numerous local governments and travel agencies, offering discounts on 'wellness tourism' products and free experience events across the country.

The opening ceremony will be held on the 1st of next month at Suncheonman Bay National Garden, one of the Tourism Organization's 'recommended wellness tourism destinations.' At the opening, local governments and companies will operate experience spaces and conduct yoga, meditation, music performances, and discussions for healing and recovery.

During the festival, programs include ▲ online discount events ▲ daily 'wellness tourism' experience lectures ▲ 14 'recommended wellness tourism destinations' offering 16 free public lectures ▲ consumer participation events in 'wellness tourism' in four metropolitan local governments (Incheon, Gangwon, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam).

Additionally, from the 21st of this month to the 31st of next month, usage vouchers offering up to a 30,000 KRW discount at 45 nationwide 'recommended wellness tourism destinations' will be sold through '11st.' Purchased products can be used at the respective tourist sites (facilities) from the 1st of next month until November 6.

The daily lectures will begin with indoor yoga and vegetarian experience classes held at 'Jeju901' on the 24th of this month and will be offered sequentially on weekends throughout October for free. Participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through advance reservations.

Special exhibitions of 'wellness tourism' products will also be held through 'Hana Tour ITC' and 'Norang Balloon.' Detailed information on program schedules, advance reservation methods, and procedures can be found on the official website.

Meanwhile, the Ministry plans to focus on fostering the wellness tourism industry to provide healing and recovery opportunities to the public and to attract foreign tourists to Korea.

To this end, the budget for the wellness tourism industry next year has been set at 8.2 billion KRW, an increase of 1.7 billion KRW from this year. The budget also includes funding for the creation of 'Wellness-Medical Tourism Convergence Cooperation Zones (Clusters 3 billion KRW, increased by 600 million KRW),' which foster regional tourism industries by converging and complexing local medical and healing resources with regional tourism assets.

The Ministry, together with the Tourism Organization, will select the 'Wellness Tourism City of the Year' and jointly hold the 'Korea Wellness Tourism Festa' with the selected local governments, as well as support the promotion and commercialization of the city under the theme of 'wellness tourism.'

A project has also been prepared to provide healing tourism activities to about 7,400 people (including one companion each), such as medical staff and firefighters. To establish a foundation for comprehensive and systematic support of the wellness tourism industry, the enactment of the '(tentative name) Healing Tourism Industry Promotion Act' is also being pursued.

A Ministry official said, "'Wellness tourism' is becoming increasingly important not only because it comforts the body and mind of people exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic but also because interest in healthy living is growing. We hope this festival will serve as a milestone in building the foundation for the development of the wellness tourism industry and provide healing and happiness to all participants."

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