Yeongdeungpo District Wins Grand Prize in Cultural Tourism at Excellent Policy Competition

"Spring Flower Companion" Barrier-Free Program for the Visually Impaired Receives High Praise

Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul (Mayor Choi Hogwon) announced on December 9 that it has won the Grand Prize in the Cultural Tourism category at the Excellent Local Government Policy Competition, hosted by the Korea Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Chiefs.

Choi Hogwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor (center), and staff are taking a commemorative photo after winning the Grand Prize in the Cultural Tourism category at the Excellent Local Government Policy Competition. Provided by Yeongdeungpo District Office.

This competition, held to mark the 30th anniversary of local autonomy, was organized to discover, share, and spread outstanding policies implemented during the 8th term of local governments. A total of 83 local governments from across the country submitted 137 policies in five categories: economy, cultural tourism, welfare, environment and safety, and responses to local extinction. The best policies in each category were selected through on-site inspections and presentation evaluations.

Yeongdeungpo District was highly praised for planning and operating "Spring Flower Companion," Seoul’s first barrier-free tourism program for the visually impaired, under the goal of creating a festival that everyone can enjoy together. The district introduced a multi-sensory program utilizing hearing, touch, taste, and physical experience, thereby expanding opportunities for the visually impaired to participate in the festival.

At the Spring Flower Festival held in April, 117 participants, including visually impaired individuals and their assistants, joined the "Spring Flower Companion" program, enjoying activities such as cherry blossom music performances (hearing), feeling spring flowers with their fingertips (touch), a picnic experienced through taste (taste), and the Seoul Dal hot air balloon experience (physical sensation). A guide accompanied the event to vividly convey the festival atmosphere, and participant satisfaction was very high, scoring 4.67 out of 5 points.

"Spring Flower Companion" has been widely recognized as an inclusive festival model, being selected as an excellent case in the 2025 Seoul City Index for Socially Disadvantaged Inclusion and winning the Grand Prize at the 2025 Manifesto Best Practices Competition.

Choi Hogwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, stated, "The experiential program aimed at creating an open festival for everyone received positive evaluations," adding, "We will continue our efforts to create a cultural environment where no one is left behind."

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