The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province jointly held a "Cooperative Forum on Regional Tourism Promotion Linked to Local Airports" at Yangyang International Airport on Monday.
Chaired by Culture Ministry Second Vice Minister Kim Dae-hyeon, the forum drew about 50 participants, including the heads of Yangyang-gun — which hosts the airport — and the cities of Chuncheon, Gangneung and Sokcho, along with representatives from the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, the Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Airports Corporation, the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, the Korea Tourism Association (KATA), airlines and the travel industry.
Discussions centered on ways to develop local airports into primary gateways for foreign tourists and to connect airports with surrounding areas into integrated tourism zones where visitors can move, stay and spend freely.
Lee So-young, director general for aviation policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said the ministry would "actively support airlines in launching new routes to Yangyang airport and create conditions for stable route operations." She added that efforts would also be made "to more closely connect Yangyang airport with the surrounding region, including expanding convenience services for foreign travelers at the airport and improving ground transportation access."
Son Sin-uk, an associate research fellow at the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, presented on strategies to link aviation and tourism in the area around Yangyang airport. He said there is a need to further expand the flow of foreign tourists into the Gangwon region and to use Yangyang airport as a gateway through which visitors can experience the appeal of Gangwon tourism.
Local travel agencies and airlines shared the current state of inbound tourism product development for the Gangwon region, along with challenges encountered on the ground and areas for improvement. Local governments, Korea Airports Corporation, the Korea Tourism Association, the Gangwon Tourism Foundation, the Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute also outlined their respective roles to participants.
The Culture Ministry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said issues identified at forums in Daegu, Gimhae and Yangyang would not be treated as one-off discussions but would be tracked on an ongoing basis through a tourism-transportation policy council.
A public forum is planned for November to gather broad input from citizens and industry stakeholders on revitalizing local airports and spreading foreign tourist traffic beyond major cities, with the findings to be reflected in future policy.
Culture Ministry Second Vice Minister Kim said the government would "spare no comprehensive support to ensure that attracting foreign tourists does not stop at arrival — but that travel from the airport to tourist destinations, and experiences and spending throughout Gangwon, flow naturally and seamlessly."
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