![A scene from the 2026 Goryeong Daegaya Festival. [Goryeong Culture and Tourism Foundation]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/23/news-p.v1.20261023.e6630df0093e4b62a9658d2a3d9b7d65_P1.jpg)
The Goryeong Culture and Tourism Foundation marked its first anniversary Tuesday with a renewed commitment to advancing the region's cultural tourism.
The foundation's flagship achievement over the past year was the 2026 Goryeong Daegaya Festival, held from March 27 to March 29, according to the foundation.
The festival drew more than 110,000 visitors, with out-of-town attendees accounting for 72.6 percent of the total and repeat visitors making up 50.5 percent. Total tourist spending reached approximately 3.1 billion won ($2.34 million), and the festival's satisfaction rating came in at 4.24 out of 5.
The foundation linked the historical value of the Daegaya kingdom to tourism through history and culture experiences at the Jisan-dong ancient burial mounds, nighttime tourism programs, and food content featuring local specialty products.
It also organized the 2026 Goryeong National Heritage Night event and worked to attract visitors and build a base for extended-stay tourism through World Heritage travel product development, bus tours, familiarization tours for travel agency representatives, and eco-friendly camping tourism.
The foundation expanded cultural welfare programs as well, participating in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "2026 Culture Day Everywhere" project to run outreach arts and culture programs for local residents.
It diversified regional cultural tourism content through performances drawing on Daegaya's historical and cultural heritage, including the original musical "Dodungmajun Sae."
In addition, the foundation signed MOUs with the Dalseo Cultural Foundation, Catholic University of Daegu, and the North Gyeongsang Province Cultural Foundation, and pursued joint performance, exhibition, and cultural exploration projects with those organizations.
The foundation established its operational systems — including electronic document, personnel, and accounting platforms — and overhauled its internal regulations. In June, it was designated a public-interest corporation, laying the groundwork for fundraising and tax benefits for donors.
Going forward, the foundation plans to sharpen the competitiveness of the Goryeong Daegaya Festival as a leading national history and culture festival through differentiated content development and operational improvements, while expanding extended-stay tourism by linking World Heritage sites with traditional markets and local agricultural products.
It also intends to strengthen cooperation with related organizations and the local community to build a cultural tourism ecosystem that grows alongside the regional economy.
"We will do our utmost to develop cultural tourism content unique to Goryeong, rooted in the history of the Daegaya kingdom and its World Heritage sites, and to make Goryeong a cultural tourism city that residents can feel proud of and visitors want to return to," said Lee Seung-ik, the foundation's chief executive.
kbj7653@heraldcorp.com
