Two ministries launch regional tourism policy council to boost local economies

South Korea's Ministry of Interior and Safety and Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism launched a Regional Tourism Policy Council and held its inaugural meeting Thursday at Government Complex Sejong.

The council, co-chaired by director-general-level officials from both ministries, identified four priority areas for inter-ministerial cooperation at the meeting: the key tasks the two ministries will collaborate on include a resident-participatory tourism saemaul movement, expansion of the digital tourism resident card program to grow tourism-linked population ties, support for tourism projects linked to the social solidarity economy, and measures to strengthen collaboration between local public institutions and the Korea Tourism Organization.

As the first joint pilot project, the two ministries will co-host a Regional Tourism Innovation Idea Competition in the second half of this year under the theme "Rising Stars of Korean Tourism."

To that end, the ministries will jointly expand and reorganize "Korea Tourism Star" — the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's flagship annual awards program, which since 2010 has recognized individuals and organizations that have contributed to domestic tourism resources and the development of the tourism industry.

The two ministries also plan to continue identifying ways to link regional tourism initiatives with policies addressing local population decline.

"This is a moment when we need a powerful force to lead a major shift in tourism from the greater Seoul area to the regions, for the sustainable growth of the tourism industry," Kang said. "The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, as the ministry responsible for tourism policy, and the Ministry of Interior and Safety, as the ministry responsible for supporting local governments, will work closely together to deliver results that people in local communities can actually feel, and realize an era of regional tourism where regions and tourism grow together."

Song said regional tourism — which gives visitors a direct reason to travel to local areas — "is a highly effective tool for stimulating consumption and revitalizing local economies." He added that both ministries would actively cooperate on regional tourism promotion policies "so that local governments' creative and outstanding tourism initiatives, reflecting the unique characteristics of each region, can make those areas the destinations tourists seek out first."