Jeonnam Province Announces Contest for Four Islands to Visit in 2023

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province announced on the 29th that it is accepting applications for four islands as part of the ‘2023 Islands You Want to Visit Development’ project targeting inhabited islands until October 4th.

If selected as an island you want to visit, 1 billion KRW will be supported annually for five years, totaling 5 billion KRW. The project will promote the expansion of infrastructure such as village restaurants, pensions, and island trails, as well as the development of tourism content including discovery of experience programs and resident capacity-building education.

Islands connected to the mainland by bridges are excluded, and in the case of islands with two or more villages, an application must be submitted designating a base village.

Jeonnam Province plans to announce the selected islands in early November after reviewing documents submitted by cities and counties, conducting on-site evaluations of the target sites, and policy assessments.

Since 2015, Jeonnam Province has planned the ‘Islands You Want to Visit Development Project,’ investing a total of 106 billion KRW in 24 islands, starting with six islands in 2015 and selecting 20 islands to date.

Among the 20 islands you want to visit, 10 islands including Yeosu Nangdo, Sonjukdo, Goheung Yeonhongdo, Boseong Jangdo, Gangjin Gaudo, Wando Saengildo, Soando, Jindo Gwanmaedo, Sinan Banwol-Bakjido, and Gijeom-Soakdo have completed the establishment of basic tourism facilities and are currently welcoming tourists.

Sinan Banwol-Bakjido was selected as the ‘1st UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization) Best Tourism Village’ in 2021 and as a ‘Star of Korean Tourism’ by the Korea Tourism Organization, emerging as a representative local tourist attraction and a leading tourist destination in South Korea.

Jeonnam Province has continuously requested that the ‘Islands You Want to Visit’ project, which revitalizes local areas through island regeneration projects, be reflected as a national project.

As a result, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism decided to promote the ‘Island Tourism Activation Project,’ investing 50 billion KRW in five islands nationwide from 2023 to 2025, and allocated 5.1 billion KRW for the project in 2023. Jeonnam Province plans to actively respond to government public offering projects scheduled for the second half of the year to secure project funds.

Kim Chungnam, Director of the Island Marine Policy Division, said, “Through national fund requests and investment attraction, we will create premium islands tailored to the characteristics of each island and strive to make Jeonnam a happy and desirable place to live for residents.”

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