Government to Support 50% of Workers' Travel Expenses with 'First-Come, First-Served' Recruitment

If You Save 200,000 Won, Companies and Government Each Contribute 100,000 Won
Targeting 150,000 People... For SMEs and Small Business Owners
Satisfaction Rate 87.5%, Also Helps Boost Domestic Demand

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will begin recruiting companies and workers to participate in the 'Worker Vacation Support' program on a first-come, first-served basis starting from the 1st of next month. This project encourages a free vacation culture within workplaces and promotes domestic travel. When a worker saves 200,000 KRW, their affiliated company and the government each add 100,000 KRW. A total of 400,000 KRW can be used for domestic travel expenses such as accommodation, transportation, and admission tickets to tourist attractions. Eligible participants include workers from small and medium-sized enterprises, mid-sized companies, small business owners, non-profit private organizations, and social welfare corporations and facilities. Applications are accepted on a company basis through the Worker Vacation Support program website. The goal is to support 150,000 people, and applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.

The Worker Vacation Support program has been in operation since 2018. Over the past six years, approximately 50,000 small and medium-sized enterprises and more than 500,000 workers have participated. Annual surveys show a participant satisfaction rate of 87.5%. The program has also helped stimulate domestic consumption by inducing travel expenses approximately 8.8 times the government support amount (100,000 KRW). Considering its high ripple effect, the government plans to increase the target number from 90,000 to 150,000 participants and expand collaboration with public institutions and large corporations. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official explained, "We plan to raise the corporate contribution fee from 100,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW for mid-sized companies that have participated for more than five years and encourage participation in the win-win growth support program." The win-win growth support program allows public institutions and large corporations to pay the savings of small and medium-sized enterprise workers on their behalf. Last year, more than 10,000 people benefited from the active participation of public institutions such as the Small and Medium Business Corporation, the Construction Workers Mutual Aid Association, and the Industrial Bank of Korea.

Companies participating in the program receive various benefits. In particular, they are awarded additional points when applying for various government certifications such as leisure-friendly certification, family-friendly certification, and work innovation incentive programs. A Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism official stated, "Outstanding participating companies will also be given opportunities for promotion through government awards and excellent case study publications."

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