Suncheon National Garden draws 4 million visitors a year without big spending

The garden rose to prominence as a popular tourism destination following the 2023 Garden Expo.

Suncheon Bay National Garden has surpassed 3 million visitors for three consecutive years, again cementing its status as one of South Korea's premier eco-tourism destinations.

The milestone reflects how the garden has established itself as Suncheon's defining eco-tourism landmark since the 2023 Suncheon Bay International Garden Expo.

According to Suncheon City, the garden drew about 9.81 million visitors in 2023, the year the expo was held, followed by about 4.25 million in 2024 and about 4.69 million last year. As of Sunday, the garden had already surpassed 3 million visitors this year, and the city expects the full-year total to exceed 4 million by year's end.

What makes the trend particularly notable is that, unlike many local governments that struggle to find uses for facilities after construction, Suncheon Bay National Garden has grown more appealing over time — its forests have matured and an increasing number of visitors are coming on their own, drawn by the garden's natural value.

However, one challenge remains: many visitors to the garden, the Suncheon Bay wetlands and Naganeupseong Folk Village tend to move on to nearby Yeosu and other destinations, leaving Suncheon with an image as a stopover rather than a destination in its own right.

To address this, Suncheon City plans to develop Suncheon Bay National Garden into a space that blends ecology-based rest, healing, education and culture.

The city intends to strengthen programs that encourage longer stays and to link the garden with local commercial districts, so that visitor foot traffic spreads throughout the wider community.

"The garden's role is expanding beyond offering scenery that changes with the seasons — it is becoming a place where people can rest and heal in nature, finding peace of mind and body," an official from the city's garden management division said. "Going forward, we will develop it further into a space for healing and renewal."