![Poster for the '2025–2026 Top 100 Korea Tourism Sites' [Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/07/21/news-p.v1.20260721.c067932b9fa7413f9b4283f5276443eb_P1.jpg)
The Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Tuesday they will jointly launch a regional tourism innovation competition — dubbed "Rising Star of Korean Tourism" — targeting local governments across the country.
The contest is the first collaborative project to emerge from the two ministries' "Regional Tourism Policy Council," which officially launched July 16. Its aim is to counter the threat of regional population decline and revitalize local economies through tourism innovation.
To support the initiative, the government will expand and restructure "Star of Korean Tourism," the country's flagship tourism awards ceremony that the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has hosted annually since 2010, with the Korea Tourism Organization serving as organizer.
The existing "Star of Korean Tourism" awards recognize outstanding tourism resources, individuals and organizations each year. The new "Rising Star" program sets itself apart by having both ministries support local governments from the earliest stages of policy idea development through to implementation as a fully realized initiative.
Starting Tuesday and running through Oct. 20, the government will accept submissions from local governments in four categories: tourism product innovation, tourism spending promotion, tourism trust restoration and tourism income villages.
The 13 selected local governments will receive fiscal benefits, and those that translate their ideas into policy with strong results will earn automatic entry into the finals of the 2027 "Star of Korean Tourism" awards. Starting this year, the top prize in the "Tourism Destination of the Year" category will be elevated from the minister of culture, sports and tourism award to the prime minister award.
Song Gyeong-ju, director general of local fiscal and economic affairs at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, said tourism and local economies share an inseparable, mutually beneficial relationship and form the core of regional vitality. "I hope that fresh tourism resources that awaken the unique appeal of each region will be discovered and become a genuine driving force in ushering in a new era for local communities," Song said.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
