Gyeonggi Province Promotes 'Wellness Tourism Activation' Including Certification of 15 Tourist Destinations

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Kim Gap-dong] Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization will certify 15 representative wellness tourism sites by the end of the year to promote the activation of 'wellness tourism,' a tourism activity aimed at health and healing.

On the 21st, the province held a kickoff meeting for the 'Gyeonggi-type Wellness Tourism Site Certification and Activation Project' with the attendance of seven wellness advisory committee members, including Park Rae-hyuk, director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, and Rep. Lee Han-guk, a member of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council.

Wellness tourism is a concept that combines tourism with wellness (Wellness), which means well-being (Wellbeing) and health (Fitness) or happiness (Happiness). In March 2023, the 'Ordinance on Fostering and Supporting Wellness Tourism in Gyeonggi Province' was enacted, and related projects were launched for the first time.

By the end of the year, the province has set goals including △discovering 100 wellness tourism resources △consulting for 20 wellness tourism sites and certifying 15 sites △creating domestic and international visitors to wellness tourism sites △forming the Gyeonggi Wellness Tourism Council △preparing for the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry's wellness and medical tourism competition.

Specifically, the province will discover wellness tourism resources through city and county recommendations, and conduct basic consulting for 20 representative tourism sites among them. Subsequently, 15 sites will be certified as wellness tourism sites, and close consulting and support programs will be provided.

Park Rae-hyuk, director of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "Since this project is a comprehensive wellness tourism project promoted by the province for the first time, the goal is not only to meet short-term tourism demand but also to create a sustainable industrial ecosystem," adding, "We will make wellness tourism a representative brand of Gyeonggi Province and provide new experiences to domestic and international tourists."