BTS filming site among 20 wellness destinations selected for foreign visitor push

The government is positioning "K-wellness tourism" as a future growth engine, seizing on the enforcement of the Healing Tourism Industry Act to concentrate support on 20 wellness destinations with strong potential to attract foreign visitors and sharpen their global competitiveness.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Sunday that it is moving to develop the wellness tourism industry in earnest, following the April 9 enforcement of the Act on the Promotion of the Healing Tourism Industry. The ministry said it has laid a regulatory foundation and is working to strengthen the sector's competitiveness in response to growing global demand for health- and healing-focused travel.

The ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization have identified "outstanding wellness tourism destinations" since 2017, drawing on resources such as beauty and spa treatments, rest, nature healing, food, traditional Korean medicine and meditation. A total of 88 sites have been designated to date, and 20 of them — judged to have the highest capacity to attract foreign tourists — have now been singled out for focused development.

The newly designated "Top 20 Wellness Destinations Specialized for Foreign Visitor Attraction" include Sayuwon in Daegu, Awon Gotaek — a traditional house in Wanju, North Jeolla Province, that served as a filming location for BTS — and WE Hotel on Jeju. Sites were selected based on the quality of their programs and their capacity to accommodate international visitors.

The ministry will provide up to 50 million won ($33,300) per site to strengthen competitiveness. Support will cover overseas platform-based promotion, the development of digital services tailored to foreign visitors, and the enhancement of tourism products and content.

In addition, the ministry completed subordinate legislation under the Healing Tourism Industry Act in April, establishing the regulatory groundwork for a systematic approach to the sector. Building on that foundation, it plans to roll out measures in stages — including drafting a master plan, training specialists, registering industry operators, conducting industry surveys and designating industry zones.

"Wellness tourism is a future growth industry that combines travel, health and healing," a ministry official said. "We will develop the specialized wellness destinations to establish a globally competitive Korean wellness tourism model and actively support South Korea's emergence as a world-class healing tourism destination."