Gyeonggi Province Supports Barrier-Free Environment at 13 Tourist Destinations Including Yongin Hantaek Botanical Garden

[Suwon Ilbo=Park Nohoon Reporter] Gyeonggi Province will support the creation of a "barrier-free environment" at 13 tourist destinations in the province, including Yongin Hantaek Botanical Garden, through improvements to walkways and installation of rest areas for people with tourism accessibility needs.

A barrier-free tourism environment refers to conditions that allow everyone, including people with disabilities, elderly individuals, and those accompanied by young children, to travel comfortably.

The 13 tourist destinations selected for support following preliminary demand surveys conducted by cities and counties are ▲Yongin Hantaek Botanical Garden ▲Yongin Nongdowon Ranch ▲Yongin Hanteo Farm ▲Yongin등잔 Museum ▲Paju Majang Lake ▲Gwangmyeong Cave ▲Yangju Jangheung Tourist Site ▲Icheon Sungho Lake Lotus Flower Complex ▲Pocheon Sanjeong Lake ▲Pocheon Art Valley ▲Yangpyeong Yongmun Mountain Tourist Site ▲Yangpyeong Clean Forest Camp ▲Yeoncheon Jaein Waterfall.

A total of 493.5 million won in provincial funding will be invested in these tourist destinations.

According to major tourist site project plans, Yongin Hantaek Botanical Garden will install walkways to create an environment where wheelchair and stroller users can move without physical constraints.

Yangpyeong Clean Forest Camp will repair wheelchair lifts to eliminate inconvenience for people with mobility disabilities when using facilities, Gwangmyeong Cave will establish rest areas for people with tourism accessibility needs, and Yeoncheon Jaein Waterfall will improve unpaved access roads and slopes.

In addition, as projects for people with tourism accessibility needs, the province will ▲produce promotional videos for barrier-free tourist destinations ▲conduct fam tours (site briefings for invited participants) targeting people with tourism accessibility needs ▲provide online and offline awareness improvement education for tourism industry staff and tourism information center employees who serve people with tourism accessibility needs ▲implement the Gyeonggi Travel Enjoyment project.

The Gyeonggi Travel Enjoyment project involves operating two wheelchair-accessible vehicles for people with disabilities visiting tourist destinations in the province.

This year, the province is reviewing the operation of one large bus and a mid-size bus with good accessibility and mobility.

Additionally, when using the Gyeonggi Travel Enjoyment bus, interpretation services will be provided for people with visual and hearing impairments, and pilot operation of experience programs that people with disabilities can participate in and customized travel course operations are being planned.

Choi Yong-hoon, director of the Tourism Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "We will do our utmost to establish a barrier-free tourism city image through facility improvements and continuous information provision so that people with tourism accessibility needs can enjoy tourism without inconvenience."