After the Gangwon Province Sports Council invited a curling exchange delegation from China's Liaoning Province, the Gangwon Tourism Foundation introduced the visitors to the region's tourism offerings — drawing praise and building momentum behind efforts to expand sports into a tourism draw.
Sports tourism, an initiative that failed to gain traction under the previous government, is now emerging as a new avenue for boosting inbound tourism.
South Korean outbound travelers have long flocked abroad for sports tourism — joining running trips, cycling tours, hiking treks, golf rounds near major tournament courses, and soccer travel to Los Angeles — drawn by well-developed infrastructure overseas. On the inbound side, however, efforts to promote Korea as a sports tourism destination on a national scale have lagged.
According to the Gangwon Tourism Foundation on Monday, the event was conceived from the planning stage as part of a Gangwon-style sports tourism initiative combining athletics and travel. The foundation arranged for the visiting foreign delegation — in Gangwon Province for training and exchange matches — to experience the region's diverse attractions and enjoy time to recharge outside the arena.
The Liaoning Province curling delegation arrived in South Korea on Monday, Aug. 17, and carried out a sports exchange program with the provincial sports council. On Friday, the final day of their six-day visit, the foundation provided a tour linking the delegation to Chuncheon's signature attractions.
Participants rode the Kim Yu-jeong Rail Bike, a popular Chuncheon attraction, gliding along the old Gyeongchun Line railway corridor with the breeze in their faces.
The group then visited Jade Garden, an arboretum where they strolled amid lush greenery and took commemorative photos, expressing high satisfaction with the experience.
Choi Seong-hyeon, chief executive of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, said the tour was designed to ensure visiting athletes could fully experience Gangwon's scenic tourism resources beyond their training schedules. "Going forward, we will continue to develop differentiated sports tourism programs that connect athletics with local tourism, so that athletes from around the world will want to come back," he said.
abc@heraldcorp.com
