'Sunchang: A Destination to Return and Stay'... Selected as a Participating Region for the 'Digital Tourist Resident Card' Program

Full-Fledged Extended-Stay Tourism Linking Fermentation, Gastronomy, Experiences, and Accommodation

Sunchang County has been selected as a final participant in the "2026 Digital Tourist Resident Card New Participating Regions Contest" hosted by the Korea Tourism Organization. With this, the county will actively promote extended-stay tourism by utilizing its regionally specialized tourism resources.

The Korea Tourism Organization has finalized eight local governments nationwide, including Sunchang County, as new recipients of the digital tourist resident card program for 2026. Following the registration of benefit locations and installation of QR scanners, the nationwide service is scheduled to launch in early June.

Sunchang County 'Digital Tourism Resident Card' Application Promotion Poster. Provided by Sunchang County

The digital tourist resident card is a tourism platform-based project that targets areas with declining populations, offering visitors various discounts on accommodation, experiences, food and beverages, and shopping, thereby encouraging local visits and spending.

Sunchang County received high marks in the contest for its organic connection between unique local resources and the tourism consumption structure, as well as for clearly presenting the expansion of the resident population as a policy objective.

In particular, Sunchang County plans to designate a total of 46 businesses and facilities as benefit locations for the digital tourist resident card under this project. By category, these include 2 sightseeing spots, 6 accommodation providers, 7 experience venues, 24 food and beverage establishments, and 7 shopping outlets, allowing tourists to enjoy tangible benefits throughout Sunchang.

Through this initiative, Sunchang County expects various positive effects, including an increase in the resident population, longer visitor stays, higher sales for small businesses, enhanced regional brand value, and a response to the issue of local population decline. In particular, if the structure in which tourists link accommodation, food and beverages, experiences, and shopping becomes established, it is expected to create a substantial ripple effect on the local economy.

A Sunchang County official stated, "We will continue to expand our extended-stay tourism policies so that Sunchang becomes not just a place to visit once, but a destination that tourists want to revisit and stay in." The official added, "We will invigorate the local economy by ensuring that visitors can directly experience and enjoy Sunchang's unique attractions, such as Gangcheon Mountain, the Fermentation Theme Park, rural experiences, and traditional sauces and gastronomy."

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