Suncheon Garden Expo Surpasses 2 Million Visitors in Just 23 Days

The 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo (Organizing Committee Chairman Nogwan-gyu) surpassed 2 million visitors just 23 days after its opening.

After welcoming 1 million visitors on the 12th, word of mouth spread nationwide, achieving 25% of the target visitors by the fourth week since opening. Compared to the 2013 Garden Expo, this is more than twice as fast in popularity.

[Photo provided by Suncheon-si]

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The Garden Expo was originally scheduled to open on April 22, but with the inauguration of Mayor Nogwan-gyu of Suncheon in the 8th local government, the opening was moved up by about three weeks to April 1.

This decision was based on Mayor Nog’s judgment that, due to climate change causing spring flowers to bloom earlier, the opening needed to be expedited to showcase high-quality gardens.

Although the preparation period became tight due to the earlier opening, the timely blooming spring flowers and the flawless completion of the gardens harmonized, leading to a successful early surge in the expo’s popularity.

Mayor Nogwan-gyu of Suncheon expressed surprise, saying, “We poured our soul into preparing for nine months. We worked hard to enhance the quality by incorporating our unique culture, sentiment, and nature. I had some expectations, but I didn’t think people would like it this much.”

He added, “Spring flowers bloom more than a month earlier. This means the climate crisis is that serious. We will show that the Garden Expo is the most practical solution to climate change. Also, I hope people who are mentally and physically exhausted come to Suncheon to heal to their heart’s content.”

◇ Domestic and international cities, institutions, and organizations benchmarking the Garden Expo continue to visit Suncheon

Mayor Nogwan-gyu is dedicating most of his April schedule to welcoming heads of local governments nationwide, members of the National Assembly, and heads of institutions and organizations, sharing the know-how of the Garden Expo.

Following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s attendance at the opening ceremony, it became known that he remarked, “If it’s at Suncheon’s level, it would be good to entrust various central authorities to local cities,” which has led to a steady stream of visits from cities across the country.

On the first day of opening, benchmarking groups from 43 institutions including local governments, councils, and educational institutes visited the Garden Expo site, starting with Gwangmyeong City, Chuncheon City, and Seoul’s Eunpyeong District.

On the 25th, the “Korea Association of Mayors, County Governors, and District Heads,” which has 228 local governments as members, will hold a meeting in Suncheon. Local government heads nationwide plan to tour the Garden Expo site, and Seoul Metropolitan City (Mayor Oh Se-hoon) has also expressed its intention to visit the expo site in May.

Mayor Nogwan-gyu proudly stated, “Suncheon has designed the city with the philosophy that ecology revitalizes the economy, and this philosophy is being proven right. We are always ready to share the experiences and know-how that Suncheon has pioneered, so please come and see a lot.”

◇ The local economy proves that ecology drives the economy, and the government and companies respond

Fifteen years ago, when Mayor Nogwan-gyu first hosted the Garden Expo, there was much negative local opinion questioning the focus on ecology and gardens when people were struggling to make a living.

However, the atmosphere in 2023 is completely different.

On the 23rd day since the Garden Expo opened, 2 million visitors are opening their wallets throughout the city, revitalizing the local economy.

A survey of accommodation facilities in Suncheon from the opening day to the 21st showed an average weekend occupancy rate of 83%.

This is 1.5 times higher compared to the average weekend occupancy rates of 52% in January and 59% in February this year. The restaurant districts in downtown Suncheon are also lively.

Due to the continuous influx of customers, employees are reportedly joyfully overwhelmed to the point of needing IV drips while serving guests.

Nearby cities Yeosu and Gwangyang are also enjoying the special economic benefits brought by the overflowing visitors to the expo.

With 2 million people visiting Suncheon, fueling vehicles, taking taxis, and purchasing local specialties, it is becoming a model case of boosting the domestic economy through tourism.

Suncheon City plans to announce the specific economic effects on the local economy by the end of May after commissioning a professional institution.

The expo’s revenue-generating businesses are also progressing smoothly.

Including ticket sales revenue of 11 billion KRW, total sales have exceeded 14 billion KRW, achieving 55% of the revenue target of 25.3 billion KRW in less than a month since opening.

Besides ticket sales, the Garden Dream Ship, Garden Stay, Ferris wheel, and food and beverage facilities (restaurants, cafes, stores, souvenir shops, etc.) are all crowded with visitors, generating an economic effect of over 14 billion KRW within the expo site alone.

The butterfly effect of the Garden Expo does not stop here. As the nation’s attention turns to Suncheon and the consumer base expands, leading domestic conglomerates are listing Suncheon as an optimal investment destination.

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Following Hanwha Aerospace’s selection of Suncheon on the 14th as the site for its space launch vehicle assembly plant, which received technology transferred from Nuriho, on the 20th, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy jointly selected Yulchon 1 Industrial Complex, Haeryong Industrial Complex, and Suncheon Industrial Complex for the ‘Old Base Industrial Complex Competitiveness Enhancement Project,’ opening a new economic horizon for Suncheon City.

Mayor Nogwan-gyu explained the selection background, saying, “The urban strategy based on ecology that we have pursued for 15 years is now showing its true value.

Companies no longer invest just because there is a factory site; they decide investment locations based on the city’s comprehensive level and potential, including natural environment, education, residency, and culture,” adding, “Following Hanwha’s investment decision, the government also chose Suncheon as a leading place for future advanced materials industries.”

◇ The newly emerging ‘plaza culture’ in Suncheon

The core spaces of the Garden Expo, ‘Ocheon Green Plaza’ and ‘Green Island,’ are now called the ‘living room of the city.’ This is where the opening performance, praised by President Yoon Suk-yeol as “world-class,” was held.

Suncheon citizens and visitors gather in these plazas, open to everyone, to communicate, enjoy culture, and indulge in nature, creating a new plaza culture.

People spread mats and naturally enjoy performances, drink beer, and walk with their pets.

Especially with the creation of spaces where growing children can freely play, citizens unanimously agree that these should be well maintained and preserved after the expo to pass on to future generations.

On the 22nd, a concert by the Yoon Do-hyun Band was held at Ocheon Green Plaza.

An organizing committee official was surprised to see more than 20,000 people gathered orderly in the 50,000-pyeong plaza, watching the performance, and then cleaning up the area themselves afterward, expressing high civic consciousness. They shared, “We really look forward to the dignified plaza culture that will emerge in Suncheon.”

Meanwhile, the expo’s main theme performances (Ocheon Green Plaza / every Friday and Saturday at 8 PM), which attract over 1,000 spectators each time, are also receiving great responses from visitors.

Mayor Nogwan-gyu said, “We have created gardens and plazas as beautiful as Canada’s Butchart Gardens and the Netherlands’ Keukenhof Gardens. If you envied Europe’s plaza culture (picnics, performances, walks), now you don’t have to go far; please enjoy it fully here in Suncheon.” He added, “There may be trial and error, but if everyone follows basic etiquette (drinking, loud noise, pet management), it can become a beloved resting place for all.”

In the future, the expo organizing committee plans to prepare seasonal themed events along with free yet dignified plaza-style cultural events. In the upcoming May, to celebrate Family Month, events such as ▲ Choi Hyun-woo Magic Show ▲ Pengsoo Fan Meeting ▲ Garden Music Festival ▲ Trot Festival will be held consecutively, and in the summer, various performances including the Garden EDM Festival and busking will be prepared to beat the heat.

◇ Creating a ‘3 No’s (traffic congestion, safety accidents, street vendors)’ expo through dignified management

During the seven months of the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo, Suncheon City is meticulously managing not only the completeness of the expo site but also traffic, safety, and environmental aspects to ensure visitors do not experience inconvenience.

In particular, the traffic and safety measures for the expo have become shining supporting roles for a dignified expo.

On the 15th, despite more than 190,000 visitors?the highest daily attendance?visitors were able to enjoy smooth traffic flow thanks to proactive traffic measures prepared in advance for the busiest traffic conditions and multiple simulations conducted.

An intelligent transportation system was established by integrating advanced IT technology to analyze traffic, bus, and parking information and enable remote signal control. Various measures such as the introduction of traffic information boards, 11,760 parking spaces (134% increase compared to 2013), dedicated shuttle buses for the expo, and operation of the ‘Garden Dream Ship’ connecting downtown and the National Garden by waterway worked organically to enable comfortable viewing without traffic chaos.

Additionally, the city deployed advanced technologies such as Korea’s first drone-based aerial control and a smart people-counting system for crowd management, and established close cooperation with related organizations including police, fire departments, local universities, and Korea Electric Power Corporation to focus on preventing safety accidents.

Illegal street vendors and overcharging culture, common at large event venues, are not found at the Garden Expo site.

Suncheon City’s prior guidance prevented illegal street vendors from settling around the expo site, and the voluntary and active participation of volunteers and first-class Suncheon planners among citizens has further enhanced the expo’s dignity.

Mayor Nogwan-gyu of Suncheon said, “Since this expo involves living organisms, delicate care is needed every moment. To show the best gardens, our staff, related organizations, workers, and volunteers are working hard every day, so I hope everyone visits to experience the essence of the gardens.” He encouraged the entire nation to visit and added, “Unlike 10 years ago, Suncheon has created creative gardens that even Europe, with its deep garden history, does not have. Let’s take pride and do our best for the remaining period, dreaming of the day when we export Suncheon’s unique garden culture and dignified expo management know-how to the world.”

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

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