The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on March 8 named six cities for this year's intelligent technology-based smart tourism project: Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do Province; Yangyang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province: Namwon, Jeollabuk-do Province; Nam-gu District of Ulsan; Cheongju, Chungcheongbuk-do Province; and Hadong-gun County, Gyeongsangnam-do Province.
This project aims to boost traveler convenience and satisfaction through the use of tourism services utilizing information and communications technology like announcements, traffic and shopping at select tourism attractions. The data accumulated through the venture will be used to improve tourism content and infrastructure by region.
This year, the ministry selected local government units in three categories: "traffic-connected types" with airports or high-speed train stations; "tourism attraction types"; and "small but strong types" with populations under 150,000.
Among the 40 competing regional entities, Nam-gu and Cheongju were selected as traffic-connected types; Gyeongju and Namwon tourism attraction types, and Yangyang-gun and Hadong-gun small but strong types.
The six designated areas will each receive public funds of KRW 3.5 billion to create intelligent tourism elements unique to each region.
As the project's leading area, Gyeongju will create a metaverse online space of the Daereungwon Tomb Complex at Gyeongju Historical Sites along Hwangridan-gil Street. It will also utilize augmented reality technology to introduce relics from the Silla Kingdom era.
Yangyang-gun will provide real-time forecasts of wave conditions and information on surfing lessons at Surfyy Beach Road, a private beach for surfing.
A ministry policy official said, "We hope that combining intelligent technology can boost the charms of and ease inconvenience in each of the selected regions and thus enhance regional tourism."
