3-Day Local Travel Experience... '13 Selected Lifestyle Tourism Spots'

Operation of 'Living Experience Tourism Programs' in 13 Regions
A 3-Day Stay Trip Weaving Hidden Stories and Resources

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 3rd that they have selected the '13 Living Experience Lifestyle Tourism Programs' to promote extended stay tourism and will operate them until the end of the year.

2023 Lifestyle Tourism Program Graphic. [Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

'Living Experience Lifestyle Tourism' refers to extended stay travel products where travelers stay in a region for at least three days and experience the local lifestyle, including the area's unique culture, history, and cuisine, as if they were locals.

The Korea Tourism Organization has been operating lifestyle tourism programs since 2020. Starting this year, the program has been expanded to include 13 programs featuring the region's unique culture and cuisine.

Eight programs, such as 'Sokcho Osil' in Sokcho, Gangwon, where visitors can enjoy breakfast made by the village women's association using local specialties, and 'Ttangkkeut Masil' in Haenam, Jeollanam-do, which includes experiences like vegetable garden and banana farm visits, will continue to operate this year as they did last year.

In particular, 'Wise Island Life: Yokji Edition' in Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, which gained popularity last year through a boat fishing experience, will add a performance by the Yokji Residents Band, and 'Manjido Living Experience,' which offers an abalone picking experience in May, will be expanded.

Five programs are being introduced for the first time this year, including 'Pungnyu Stay' in Yeongdong, Chungbuk, which features the Pungnyu Sarangbang where grandmothers with barista certifications serve coffee and share village legends, as well as a winery visit and 'Naju Eupseong Living Experience' in Naju, Jeonnam, where visitors stay in a hanok within Naju Eupseong, enjoy unique experiences such as rickshaw tours through alleyways, yellow sailboat rides, and making Naju pear jelly.

Each program includes accommodation, breakfast, and some experience fees, offered at prices discounted by up to 50% compared to the regular rates.

Kim Young-mi, Director of the Public Marketing Office at the Korea Tourism Organization, stated, “Lifestyle tourism combines village lodging, travel experiences, and unique local stories to provide a special domestic travel experience that allows visitors to live like locals. We have devoted significant effort over a long period to develop these programs. We plan to further strengthen the promotion of lifestyle tourism to activate extended stay travel and establish it as a sustainable representative travel product for local regions.”

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