Korea Tourism Organization Selects 30 Open Tourism Sites for 2024 Including Beopjusa Temple and Wolyeonggyo Bridge

Creating Tourist Attractions for Everyone
Operating Sharing Travel Programs Visiting Tourism-Vulnerable Groups Directly

Thirty new 'Open Tourist Destinations' were selected for 2024.

Beopjusa Temple, Songnisan, Boeun, Chungbuk.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced on the 10th that they have newly selected 30 sites for the 2024 'Open Tourist Destinations' project.

The 'Open Tourist Destinations Development Project' is designed to create a tourism environment where vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, and families with infants can travel safely and conveniently. It alleviates mobility difficulties through improvements such as walkways and ramps, and enhances the quality of travel by developing experience-based content tailored to different types of visitors.

Since 2015, a total of 132 sites have been selected up to this year. The scope has gradually expanded to include various experiential tourist destinations such as camping, water sports, hiking, and astronomical observation.

This year’s call for applications received submissions from 67 tourist sites across 28 local governments nationwide. After document screening and on-site evaluations, 30 tourist destinations were selected, a 150% increase from the usual 20 sites per year. This year, to ensure the sustainability and substance of the Open Tourist Destinations project, detailed evaluations were conducted on participation plans involving vulnerable groups themselves and post-maintenance plans.

The selected Open Tourist Destinations include ▲Samaksan Lake Cable Car ▲Kim Yu-jeong Rail Bike ▲Animation Museum & Toy Robot Hall (all in Chuncheon, Gangwon), ▲Gongneung Tourist Site ▲Majang Lake ▲Imjingak Tourist Site in Paju, Gyeonggi, and ▲Jaein Waterfall Park ▲Jaein Waterfall Auto Camping Site ▲Hantanggang Dam in Yeoncheon.

In Gumi, Gyeongbuk, the ▲Geumosan Olle Trail & Eco Healing Forest ▲Gumi Eco Land, in Andong ▲Wolyeonggyo Bridge ▲Seonseonghyeon Cultural Complex, in Yeongdeok ▲Goraebul Beach ▲Goesiri Traditional Village, in Changwon, Gyeongnam ▲Yeojaecheon ▲Jinhae Marine Park ▲Changwon House, and in Ulsan ▲Jangsaengpo Whale Culture Special Zone ▲Daewangam Park ▲Gangdong Auto Camping Site were also selected.

In Boeun, Chungbuk, ▲Sokrisan Beopjusa Temple ▲Sokrisan Theme Park, in Dangjin, Chungnam, ▲Hapdeokje Waterfront Park ▲Solmoe Holy Ground, in Gochang, Jeonbuk, ▲Dongho Beach (Dongho National Leisure Camping Site) ▲Bokbunja Recreation Area (Gochang National Leisure Camping Site), and in Jeonju, Jeonbuk, ▲Jeonju Arboretum ▲Palbok Art Factory ▲Jeonju Hanbyeok Culture Center were also selected.

Wolyeonggyo Bridge, Andong.
[Photo by Korea Tourism Organization]

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization plan to finalize detailed project plans for each selected tourist site through customized on-site consulting involving barrier-free experts and people with disabilities. They will work on facility improvements and expansion of tourism experience content tailored to the characteristics of each site. Once completed, shared travel centered on Open Tourist Destinations, barrier-free tourism promotion support, and awareness improvement education will also be conducted.

Information on Open Tourist Destinations can be found through the barrier-free tourism information platform 'Everyone’s Travel' and others. The Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization will continuously operate shared travel programs to enable vulnerable groups to visit the destinations directly, supporting Open Tourist Destinations to become preferred tourist sites for all citizens.

Additionally, through inspections and consultations involving barrier-free experts and demand-side participants such as people with disabilities, they will support the thorough management of Open Tourist Destinations.

Park Jong-taek, Director of Tourism Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said, "The tourism environment for vulnerable groups is still poor," adding, "We plan to significantly expand Open Tourist Destinations and accelerate efforts to create barrier-free tourism conditions by supporting various policies such as barrier-free awareness education, expansion of barrier-free tourism information including accommodation facilities, and support for barrier-free travel products."

Kim Hyung-jun, Director of the Tourism Welfare and Safety Center at the Korea Tourism Organization, said, "In addition to physical facility improvements at Open Tourist Destinations, we plan to expand information, services, and content for vulnerable groups," and added, "The Korea Tourism Organization will continue to contribute to making Korea a place where everyone can travel comfortably and safely through ongoing promotion and awareness improvement of barrier-free tourism."

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