Chungbuk Province held the “9th Popularly Elected Term Chungbuk Tourism Policy Promotion Strategy Meeting” on Wednesday the 21st at Cheongnamdae, bringing together officials from the provincial government, local municipalities, the Chungbuk Research Institute, the Chungbuk Culture and Foundation, and municipal culture and tourism foundations.

This meeting was organized to share the future direction of Chungbuk’s tourism policy under the 9th popular term and to discuss measures for promoting stay-and-spend tourism alongside inter-regional cooperation.

During the session, Choi Young-seok, a research fellow at the Chungbuk Research Institute, presented on the topic of “Chungbuk’s Future Tourism Development Map,” followed by Kim Hyun, head of the Tourism Business Division at the Chungbuk Culture and Foundation, who spoke on “Chungbuk, Opening the Future Through Tourism.” Afterward, participants shared the province's tourism policy directions and key municipal projects, discussing collaborative tasks.

The Chungbuk Provincial Government outlined four main directions for its tourism policy during the 9th term: (1) pursuing integrated and linked tourism policies, (2) fostering a high-value stay-and-spend tourism market, (3) creating inbound tourism demand, and (4) developing stay- and experience-oriented tourism resources.

In particular, the province plans to establish tourism regions by connecting municipal tourism resources through common themes and travel routes, while jointly fostering core hubs and surrounding tourism attractions within each region. The strategy aims to expand individual destination visits into journeys extending into neighboring cities and counties, thereby increasing tourists' length of stay and enhancing mutual regional prosperity.

To vitalize inbound tourism, Cheongju International Airport will serve as a core gateway to expand the visits and stays of foreign tourists within the province. The province also plans to develop themed tourism products that leverage local strengths and strengthen the attraction of individual foreign tourists through marketing and sales linked with overseas online travel platforms (OTAs).

During the meeting, municipalities introduced key projects reflecting their unique regional characteristics, such as Cheongju’s stay-oriented tourism and consumption virtuous cycle project, Jecheon’s City Pass, Yeongdong’s travel rewards, and the upgrade of the Jeungpyung Tour Pass. Participants exchanged views focusing on collaborative tasks to extend tourists' length of stay and stimulate local spending, as well as inter-regional tourism connection courses.

Choi Seung-hwan, Director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Chungbuk Province, stated, "Beyond simply attracting tourists, it is crucial to encourage them to stay longer in Chungbuk and spend within the region. Through close cooperation between the provincial government, municipalities, and related organizations, we will connect the strengths of each region's tourism resources and ensure that tourism achievements translate into vitality for the local economy."

Chungbuk Province plans to formulate a “Chungbuk Tourism Great Transformation Plan” incorporating the suggestions from this meeting and will continue proactive administration to resolve on-site challenges based on cooperation with municipalities and related organizations.

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