"Ogam Trekking" Sees 3.6-Fold Surge in Tourists... Gangwon Tourism Poised for Major Leap in 2026

Certified Participation Soars Compared to Last Year,
Demonstrating Growing Enthusiasm for Gangwon Tourism

The Gangwon Tourism Foundation (CEO Choi Sunghyun) announced on December 10 that a total of 23,522 people participated in the on-site event and certification challenge of “Ogam Trekking,” which was promoted as part of the “2025 Gangwon Walking Tour Tourism Revitalization Project,” marking a successful conclusion.

The image of Ogam Trekking. Provided by Gangwon Tourism Foundation

“Ogam Trekking” is an experiential trekking program that goes beyond simple walking tours to stimulate all five senses-seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling. Participants walk along famous scenic routes throughout the province, experience a variety of prepared content, and certify their participation, making it a comprehensive, experience-oriented event program.

This project, which was implemented to promote both regional coexistence and the “2025-2026 Visit Gangwon Years,” was designed by linking local festivals and traditional markets to the program. It provided participants with free admission to major tourist attractions and the opportunity to enjoy both the pleasure of walking along local scenic routes and the diverse tourism offerings of the region.

Walking event participants received local gift certificates, regional specialties, souvenirs, snacks, and prizes, while certification challenge participants were additionally awarded Gangwon gift certificates and accommodation vouchers, thereby increasing both participation and satisfaction with the event.

Furthermore, the distributed local gift certificates and Gangwon gift certificates were spent in traditional markets and nearby shops, resulting in approximately 30 million won in direct consumption and 20 million won in indirect consumption, for a combined total of about 50 million won in tourism spending. This made a significant contribution to revitalizing the local economy.

The image of Ogam Trekking. Provided by Gangwon Tourism Foundation

Additionally, this year’s participation rate increased by about 360 percentage points compared to the 5,000 participants in last year’s predecessor event, the “2024 Shotgun Trekking,” clearly demonstrating both the tangible results and the growth potential of the Gangwon Walking Tour Tourism Revitalization Project.

Choi Sunghyun, CEO of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, stated, “This year’s Ogam Trekking was designed to allow participants to fully experience Gangwon’s natural, cultural, and local attractions in a variety of ways.” He added, “The approximately 3.6-fold increase in certified participation compared to last year is an indicator of the rapidly growing interest in Gangwon’s walking tourism content.”

He continued, “Going forward, we plan to continue developing and expanding Gangwon’s unique, differentiated tourism programs to create more stay-type and experiential tourism content, with the goal of establishing Gangwon as a leading destination for walking tours.”

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