Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Confirmed to be Held for Ten Days Starting March 10

Published 12 Jan.2023 10:20(KST)

Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Committee Reviews Basic Plans Including Festival Programs

Attempts to Change Including Paid Zones, Parking Fee Collection, River Market Operation, and Sponsorship Attraction

Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Confirmed to be Held for Ten Days Starting March 10

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik] Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do announced that on the afternoon of the 11th at 3 PM, it held a meeting of the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Committee in the conference room of the Gwangyang Tourism Collaboration Center to ensure the successful hosting of the 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival.

Presided over by Chairman Kim Jong-ho, about 30 committee members and related officials attended the meeting to deeply discuss the revision of operational regulations, festival period, slogan, programs, and other basic festival plans.

The committee finalized the slogan for the 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, which will be held for the first time in four years, as “Gwangyang is Spring, Maehwa Meeting Again,” and decided to hold it from March 10 to 19 (10 days).

The city plans to welcome citizens and tourists with differentiated festival content and an upgraded festival under the theme “Welcome to the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival” and the concept of “Reunion after 4 years.”

Furthermore, the festival will shift from simply viewing flowers to a profit-generating festival, expanding leisure programs that reflect endemic-era tourism trends such as small-scale, open-type, and clean tourism.

In particular, programs selected from the nationwide Maehwa Festival Idea Contest will be introduced into the festival, and improvements derived from expert advisory meetings on the appropriateness of the basic plan will be reflected to enhance the qualitative level.

The city will attempt various changes in this festival, including the introduction of paid zones, collection of parking fees, sponsorships, and attracting a river market.

As a measure to upgrade the festival and revitalize the local economy, ordinances and operational regulations will also be revised to provide part of the experience fees and parking fees as local business vouchers.

To strengthen safety at the event site, a comprehensive safety management headquarters will be operated in cooperation with related organizations and private groups, and additional safety management personnel will be deployed to ensure smooth traffic and movement.

The appointment of a general director, discussed by the festival promotion committee last year, was postponed to next year’s festival due to the lack of suitable candidates despite two announcements, and basic plan consulting was conducted with the Korea Tourism Organization and tourism-related professors and experts.

The city plans to attract visitors through sponsorships and organize a diverse festival including a river market led by stylish local youth and sellers.

The 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival will introduce a large number of unique and innovative programs reflecting idea contests and expert consulting, such as AR life shots and a Maehwa flower path BGM repository.

Additionally, sensory satisfaction programs that embody Gwangyang’s identity, such as Master Hong Ssang-ri’s cooking class “Master Hong’s Maesil Bapsim” and Gwangyang tasting experiences with tourists, will be showcased.

ESG programs for practicing carbon neutrality, shuttle bus operations, and tourism accessibility measures such as wheelchair and stroller rentals for vulnerable tourists will also be strengthened.

Above all, the strategy is to invigorate the local economy and showcase Gwangyang’s hidden charms by operating stay-type tourism products linked to Gwangyang’s tourist resources and food, including Baedo Island Garden.

Kim Jong-ho, Chairman of the Gwangyang Maehwa Festival Committee, emphasized, “The Maehwa Festival has firmly established itself as Korea’s spring festival, attracting many spring visitors despite COVID-19 and enhancing Gwangyang City’s status. The 22nd Gwangyang Maehwa Festival, held after four years, must welcome citizens and tourists with improvements addressing previously raised issues and a renewed appearance.”

Jung Gu-young, Director of Tourism, said, “The Gwangyang Maehwa Festival is a tourism industry that greatly impacts the entire local economy, including income increase for residents, downtown accommodation, and the food service industry. In the endemic era, we will plan and present a refined and upgraded Gwangyang Maehwa Festival that comforts people exhausted by COVID-19 and revitalizes the local economy.”