Gangwon Tourism Foundation Turns Olympic Legacy into a Healing Forest... Gariwangsan Healing Camp Concludes Successfully

Foundation and Gangneung City Promote "Values of Healing and Inclusion"
Presenting "Inclusive Tourism" Enjoyed by All, Beyond Disabilities

The city of Gangneung (Mayor Kim Hongkyu) and the Gangwon Tourism Foundation (CEO Choi Sunghyun) announced on the 19th that they hosted the 'Healing Camp in the Forest of Gariwangsan Mountain' from October 17 to 18 in the Gariwangsan area of Jeongseon, with around 40 participants including people with developmental disabilities and their families.

Healing Camp in the Forest of Gariwangsan Mountain. Provided by Gangwon Tourism Foundation

Under the goal of "spreading the values of healing and inclusion" by utilizing Olympic legacy resources, this event was designed as a barrier-free travel program in which people with developmental disabilities and their families could participate together. Throughout the event, safety personnel and professional instructors accompanied the participants, ensuring that everyone could enjoy the program comfortably and safely.

On the first day, participants walked through the Japanese cedar forest in the Romizian Garden in Jeongseon, guided by professional instructors and safety personnel, and experienced a healing program that engaged all five senses in nature. In the evening, they spent time around a bonfire, sharing their inner concerns and communicating openly between guardians and their children with developmental disabilities.

The following day, participants explored the Gariwangsan Cable Car and Alpine Plaza Exhibition Hall-both legacies of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics-and then took part in a fragrance-making program with a perfumer, experiencing sensory recovery and inner peace.

Healing Camp in the Forest of Gariwangsan Mountain. Provided by Gangwon Tourism Foundation

Meanwhile, the 'Healing Camp in the Forest of Gariwangsan Mountain' was carried out as part of the development and operation of Olympic legacy-linked tour products, a collaborative project between neighboring cities and counties under Gangneung's tourism hub city initiative. Gangneung and the foundation have presented an inclusive tourism model that everyone can enjoy, aiming to expand the Olympic legacy beyond a symbol of sports into a foundation for creating social value.

Choi Sunghyun, CEO of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, stated, "This event is a meaningful attempt to expand the Olympic legacy of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province into a travel resource open to everyone, rather than just a simple legacy," adding, "We will continue to strive to create an open tourism environment where everyone, regardless of disability, can enjoy travel."

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