"Stop Regional Extinction"... Bluepoint Joins Hands with Korea Tourism Organization

Recruiting Startups for the '2023 BETTER里' Demonstration Project Participation

An attempt is being made to solve the crisis of local extinction, which has emerged as South Korea's biggest challenge, through innovative items from startups. The Korea Tourism Organization and accelerator Bluepoint Partners announced on the 3rd that they are recruiting startups to participate in the '2023 BETTER里' (2023 Battery) demonstration project. The application deadline is until the 19th.

Battery is a project by the Korea Tourism Organization aimed at revitalizing local areas and boosting the economy by increasing the living population in regions experiencing population decline. This year, it will be conducted for six weeks around Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, under the theme of 'Sustainable Stay,' in collaboration with Bluepoint, which specializes in discovering and supporting startups.

Photo by Getty Images Bank

Yeongju, Gyeongbuk, has various tourist resources such as Sobaeksan Mountain, Buseoksa Temple, Korean beef, and apples, but lacks accommodation and transportation infrastructure, so stay-type tourism has not developed. The two organizations plan to attract tourists nationwide to Yeongju by utilizing various programs and values provided by startups.

The demonstration project aims to increase the revisit rate and length of stay of tourists in Yeongju through the ideas and technologies of participating startups. Up to eight companies will be recruited, and each participating company will receive differential support funds of up to 30 million KRW necessary for the demonstration project.

The types of startups being recruited include ▲ 'Accommodation services' that provide new lodging experiences to tourists by utilizing local idle resources ▲ 'Circular economy solutions' that minimize environmental impact by reducing carbon footprints and recycling resources ▲ 'Local business linkage' that revitalizes the economy by connecting with local resources or businesses.

Lee Yong-kwan, CEO of Bluepoint, said, "By gathering startups to make various attempts to solve the problems of depopulated areas, local governments can find clues to solutions, and startups can discover new business opportunities."

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