Donghae City Selected for '2026 Accessible Tourism Destination Development Project'... Accelerating Barrier-Free Tourism City Initiative

Final Selection for the '2026 Accessible Tourism Destination Development Project' Organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization
All Three Applied Sites Designated: Mureungbyeolyucheonji, Mureung Health Forest, and Dochebigol Sky Valley & Haerang Observatory

Donghae City in Gangwon Province has been finally selected for the '2026 Accessible Tourism Destination Development Project,' organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. This achievement will further accelerate the city's efforts to become a barrier-free tourism destination.

A panoramic view of Donghae City Hall. Provided by Donghae City

The 'Accessible Tourism Destination Development Project' is a national initiative aimed at establishing a barrier-free tourism environment, enabling all visitors-including people with disabilities, the elderly, and families with infants-to access tourist sites without restrictions. In 2018, Mangsang Beach in Donghae was designated as the city's first accessible tourism destination.

However, some tourist sites still have barriers, and the need for improvement is increasing due to the growing demand for barrier-free tourism resulting from changes in the domestic population structure.

In response, the city applied for three sites as candidates: Mureungbyeolyucheonji and Mureung Health Forest, which are representative tourist and wellness facilities in the Mureung area, as well as Dochebigol Sky Valley & Haerang Observatory, a popular spot in the Mukho area. All three sites were ultimately selected as accessible tourism destinations.

For the 2026 project, a total of 30 tourist sites across 13 local governments nationwide were selected, including five sites in Wonju and Donghae within the province.

As a result of this selection, Donghae City will receive a total of 750 million won in national funding for the three newly designated accessible tourism sites (250 million won per site). This is expected to significantly support both the city's eighth-term pledge to create a barrier-free city for people with disabilities and the government's policy to build a tourism environment accessible to all.

Accordingly, starting next year, a total of 1.5 billion won-including national funding-will be invested to establish barrier-free environments that enhance accessibility and convenience, such as installing smart shelters and barrier-free kiosks. The city will also expand content to improve information accessibility, including the production of braille and tactile-voice integrated guide pamphlets and comprehensive information boards.

The city plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with relevant organizations on December 16, establish detailed plans through expert consultation in January next year, and then officially launch the project.

Lee Jinhwa, Director of Tourism, stated, "The selection of these accessible tourism destinations will be an important opportunity to expand travel rights for vulnerable groups and enhance the competitiveness of local tourism," adding, "We will do our best to ensure that the barrier-free tourism infrastructure is established without any setbacks."

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