'Convenient Travel for Tourists with Disabilities'... Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism Announces Contest for 30 Accessible Tourist Sites

Call for Applications Until September 15, 30 Locations Selected and Supported

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, together with the Korea Tourism Organization, will newly select 30 '2024 Open Tourist Sites.'

2023 Open Tourist Destination Selected Site - Sacheon Sea Cable Car
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The new open tourist sites will be open for applications from metropolitan and local governments from the 14th to September 15th. Notably, this year, the number of supported sites will increase from the usual 20 to 30 by adding 10 more locations.

'Open Tourist Sites' is a project aimed at creating travel conditions that are convenient and enjoyable for everyone by resolving mobility inconveniences such as walkways and ramps at tourist sites, and providing experiential content tailored to different types of disabilities.

Currently, there are 132 open tourist sites nationwide. Among them, 112 sites have been completed and are recognized as tourist destinations inclusive of vulnerable groups.

Representative examples include ▲Yeongok Beach Camping Site with universal design caravans ▲Chuncheon Uiamho King Canoe accessible by wheelchair ▲Biseulsan County Park where wheelchairs can reach the mountain summit ▲Jinan Maisan Provincial Park (Maisan Tapsa) where visitors can experience taffoni terrain (holes formed in rock walls due to weathering) through tactile and explanatory methods, all known as specialized travel courses for people with disabilities.

This application process will be conducted through document screening and on-site evaluation. Local governments will receive support such as customized consulting for each tourist site, renovation of convenience facilities at major tourist attractions, and development of tourism content tailored to different types of disabilities.

Park Jong-taek, Director of Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Improving the tourism environment for people with disabilities enhances the tourism environment for everyone, so we will expand the creation of open tourist sites to ensure that anyone can fully enjoy the charm of travel." He added, "We will actively discover and foster barrier-free travel products like shared travel to enable comfortable and safe journeys."

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