"Data, Local Communities, and AI Are the Keys to Regional Tourism"... Ministry of Culture Holds Policy Forum with 10 Countries

KOPIST High-Level Tourism Policy Forum to Be Held in Sejong on the 21st

Sharing Korea’s Regional Tourism Experience and International Best Practices

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will discuss solutions for revitalizing regional tourism with senior officials from the tourism ministries of 10 developing countries.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 21st that it will hold the "2026 KOPIST High-Level Tourism Policy Forum" in Sejong. KOPIST stands for "Korea Tourism Development Cooperation Project," an official development assistance (ODA) project promoted by the ministry since 2014 to support the development of the tourism industry in developing countries.

On the 21st, the Ministry announced that it will hold the "2026 KOPIST High-Level Tourism Policy Forum" in Sejong. KOPIST stands for the "Korea Tourism Development Cooperation Project," an official development assistance (ODA) program promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism since 2014 to support the development of the tourism industry in developing countries.

This year’s forum will focus on the theme of "Strategic Approaches to Revitalizing Regional Tourism." Policy measures will be discussed to ensure that the benefits of the tourism industry are spread nationwide rather than being limited to capitals or major cities. Senior officials from the tourism ministries of 10 countries—including Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, Bhutan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Peru, Ghana, Uganda, and Egypt—will attend the forum.

The keynote speech will be delivered by Professor Julius Anhegger of the West Coast University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Professor Anhegger plans to present the "3C Strategy," which refers to clear goal-setting, stakeholder collaboration, and policy consistency, as a way to strengthen the competitiveness of regional tourism through the strategic attraction of tourists.

The first session will address data-driven tourism policies and international case studies of regional tourism. Professor Margarida Abreu Novais of Griffith University in Australia will introduce examples from Australia, the European Union, New Zealand, and Spain that utilize tourism statistics and data. Kohei Nakahara, President of the Kutchan Tourism Association in Hokkaido, Japan, will share strategies for boosting the off-season through resident participation, based on Niseko’s experience of growing into a world-class ski resort.

The second session will showcase Korea’s regional tourism strategies and field cases. Lee Changgil, head of the Gaehang-ro Project, will present an example of revitalizing tourism in Incheon’s Gaehang-ro by utilizing local cultural heritage and idle spaces. The Korea Tourism Organization will share field cases of implementing technologies to alleviate tourist inconveniences, such as analyzing tourist site congestion using artificial intelligence and providing real-time interpretation and translation in 42 languages.

Following this forum, the Ministry will also conduct a training program on tourism policy for working-level tourism leaders from May 25 to June 8 in Seoul, Incheon, and other locations.

Kang Jungwon, policy chief of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Global enthusiasm for K-Culture and K-Content has brought unprecedented international attention to Korean tourism," and added, "We will support the systematic capacity building of tourism professionals who will drive transformation and growth in the tourism industries of developing countries."

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