Kwon Ki-chang: "Andong Tourism Riding the Wave of Summit Diplomacy... Aiming to Become a Global Stay-Type City"

Linking Gastronomy, Night Tourism, and MICE

Pledge to Attract a Local Food Experience Center

Kwon Ki-chang, the People Power Party candidate for Mayor of Andong, announced on May 20 his plan to develop Andong into a global tourist destination where visitors from around the world stay, building on the achievements of the recent Korea-Japan summit held in the Hahoe Village area of Andong.

Proposed Commitments to Attract Local Food Experience Centers, Expand Night Tourism, and Foster the MICE Industry
Photo by Kwon Ki-chang Campaign Office

In a press release on the same day, Kwon stated, "This summit provided an opportunity for Andong's traditional culture, cuisine, and night tourism content to be recognized for their competitiveness on the international stage," adding, "I will transform Andong from a simple stopover destination into a global tourist city where people from all over the world stay."

As a core pledge, he proposed the attraction of a Local Food Experience Center.

Kwon explained, "The dishes served at the summit dinner, based on the ancient cookbook 'Suunjapbang,' along with Andong Hanwoo beef and Andong Soju, are cultural assets with global competitiveness," adding, "By establishing a Local Food Experience Center, we will enable domestic and international tourists to experience Andong's traditional food culture year-round."

He further stated, "In conjunction with efforts to have 'Suunjapbang' listed in the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register, we will promote both the industrialization and globalization of Andong's traditional cuisine."

Kwon also presented plans to expand the foundation for stay-type tourism.

He announced that he would increase tourists' length of stay by developing food tourism courses linked to the Local Food Experience Center, expanding nighttime tourism utilizing Hahoe Village's Seonyujulbulnori and the night view of Wolyeonggyo Bridge, and increasing the number of traditional house and Hanok accommodations.

Kwon Ki-chang: "On the Occasion of the Korea-Japan Summit, Andong Will Leap Forward as a Tourist City Welcoming Visitors from Around the World"
[Photo by Kwon Ki-chang Candidate Office]

Additionally, he said he would develop tourism products utilizing air routes from Daegu Airport and support attracting overseas tourists by collaborating with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) in Andong tourism marketing.

Furthermore, he outlined plans to strengthen the competitiveness of the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industry by creating a unique Andong-style venue centered on the Andong International Convention Center and linking it with Dosan Seowon, Korea Culture Theme Park, Ungbu Park, Taesamyo, and other sites, and by expanding the hosting of international conferences and exhibitions.

Kwon concluded, "This summit demonstrated that Andong's cultural and tourism assets have enough potential to succeed in the global market," adding, "We will work closely with the government to create an Andong where tourism and the local economy grow together."

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