"Double Carbon Points, 300,000 More Accommodation Coupons"... Boosting Eco-Friendly Consumption and Tourism Simultaneously

Eco-Friendly Green Consumption and Tourism Boom-Up Plan
Digital Onnuri Gift Certificate Discount Rate Raised to 10%
64 Additional Railway Services, 33,000 Extra Seats Supplied

The government is set to implement measures to boost domestic demand by both increasing eco-friendly consumption and tourism, such as doubling the maximum carbon neutrality points and supplying an additional 300,000 accommodation coupons to designated population-decline areas outside the Seoul metropolitan area. The government will also expand experience-based support across consumption, including halving travel costs (with rebates for public transportation use) and strengthening discounts on Onnuri gift certificates.

On April 28, at a Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee Jaemyung at the Blue House, the government announced that it had proposed and discussed the "Eco-friendly Green Consumption and Tourism Boom-up Plan." To promote eco-friendly consumption, a nationwide “Everyone’s Green Consumption” campaign will be launched, and from May 6 to 17, participating companies will offer an event in which carbon neutrality points are doubled for using reusable cups and similar items.

Specifically, the carbon neutrality point for using a reusable cup will be increased from 300 won to 600 won, and for disposing of high-quality recyclable materials, it will also be raised from 300 won to 600 won per kilogram. Starting this month, an additional discount of up to 5 percentage points will be applied to local gift certificates for purchases made at stores selling energy-saving marked products. The benefits of the “Everyone’s Card,” which encourages public transportation use in conjunction with flexible work arrangements, will also be enhanced: the flat-rate base amount will be reduced by half, and the reimbursement rate during staggered commuting hours will be increased by up to 30 percentage points.

Measures to revitalize local economies will also be implemented. Until June 10, the Donghaeng Festival will be held as an eco-friendly event in connection with 50 local festivals nationwide, and the discount rate for digital Onnuri gift certificates will increase from 7% to 10% from May 1 to 5. At century-old stores and traditional markets, a 10% statement discount will be given for purchases over 30,000 won, and cashback and prize events will be offered for using Onnuri-affiliated merchants. To stabilize prices, agricultural, livestock, and fisheries products will be discounted by up to 40% with a budget of 10 billion won from next month through June. Eggs will be discounted by 1,000 won per tray of 30, and discounts funded by producers’ associations will be offered for Korean beef and pork. For seafood, a separate budget of 12 billion won will be allocated to provide discounts ranging from 20% to 50%.

On the 7th, ahead of the nation's major holiday Seollal, Gwangjang Market in Jongno-gu, Seoul, was crowded with citizens. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In the tourism sector, in addition to the existing 200,000 accommodation coupons, an extra 300,000 accommodation coupons will be supplied to population-decline areas outside the Seoul metropolitan area, and eligibility for the 50% travel cost rebate will be expanded. Previously, according to this year's supplementary budget, 50% of spending on dining, experiences, and accommodation in population-decline areas was reimbursed with local gift certificates, but now local public transportation expenses will also be included. During the holiday period from May 1 to 5, there will be 64 additional rail services providing 33,000 extra seats, along with 2,580 flights operating on 20 airline routes to improve travel convenience.

The public sector will be encouraged to take annual leave and travel during May, and compensation for civil servants’ unused leave will be paid early in the month. To attract inbound tourists, the Korea Duty Free Festa will be held until May 31, and 40 tourism courses linked to K-drama and film shooting locations will be operated. The number of flights between Incheon Airport and Gimhae Airport will be increased to four times per week starting this month, while new flights between Incheon Airport and Jeju Airport will operate twice a week starting next month.

Support for vulnerable groups is also included. Emergency welfare livelihood support will be expanded by 16,000 cases, and high oil price support funds will be provided to the bottom 70% of income earners, ranging from 100,000 won to 600,000 won per person. The Hope Return Package will be expanded to 55,000 cases, and the Employment Retention Subsidy will be increased to cover 48,000 people. The government plans to swiftly implement these policies through supplementary budget execution and cooperation with local governments, while closely monitoring Middle East conflicts and consumption trends to prepare additional measures if necessary.

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