Suwon Special City Mayor Lee Jae-jun, "I Will Make Suwon a City That Tourists Want to Visit"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Special City Mayor Lee Jae-jun stated, "I will make Suwon a city that tourists want to visit."

The mayor attended the 'Suwon Tourism Promotion Committee 2026 First Regular Meeting' held on the 14th at the City Hall Conference Room, and said in his remarks, "By connecting tourism resources ranging from the legacy of King Jeongjo to culture and arts, sports, and cutting-edge industries, I will create a city that tourists want to visit," emphasizing that "to create a virtuous cycle of visiting, staying, spending, and visiting again, we must innovate in all areas related to tourism, including food and transportation."

He continued, "The city can advance to become a global cultural tourism city that people around the world visit," and urged the committee members to "serve as guides for Suwon as it moves toward becoming a global cultural tourism city."

The meeting proceeded with reports on promotion progress, publicity for the three major Suwon Hwaseong festivals, and deliberation of agenda items.

Promoting '2026-2027 Suwon Tourism Year' with Target of 15 Million Visitors

The city is promoting '2026-2027 Suwon Tourism Year' with the slogan 'Suwon For YOU'. The goal is to make Suwon a global tourism city visited by 15 million people.

The declaration ceremony for Suwon Tourism Year was held in February, and the Suwon Tourism Promotion Committee and Citizen Promotion Group were launched in April.

Private cooperation systems have been established through business agreements with the International Tourism Forum, Korea Payment Association, Suwon Post Office, and Breweries Association, and local tourism content is being developed and operated.

The city participated in major exhibitions and travel shows including the 2026 Korea Festival Expo (April) and the 41st Seoul International Tourism Fair (June), held the '5th World Tourism Industry Conference' on June 5-6, and the '2026 Hwallang Art Fair in Suwon' from June 25-28. On July 6, the '2026 Suwon Best Restaurant 100 Touch Suwon Service' was launched.

Three Major Suwon Hwaseong Festivals and Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival to be Held in September-October

The three major Suwon Hwaseong festivals will be held in September-October. The 2026 Suwon Hwaseong Media Art will be held from September 19 to October 6 around Hwaseo Gate, Jangan Gate, and Jangan Park under the theme 'Saebbit Dongnak-Suwon Hwaseong, Blooming in Light'.

The 63rd Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival will take place for 8 days from October 4-11 around Suwon Hwaseong including Haenggung Plaza and Hwaseong Haenggung, and the 2026 King Jeongjo's Royal Procession Re-enactment will be held on October 4.

The promotion committee deliberated on the '2026 Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival Subsidiary Event Plan (draft)' and 'the 101st International Academic Conference Session Theme (draft)' at this meeting.

The Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival will be held for two days on October 17-18 at Seoho Grass Plaza. Hosted by Gyeonggi Province and organized by Suwon City and Gyeonggi Content Agency, the Gyeonggi Indie Music Festival is a cultural event that provides performance opportunities for indie artists and various music enjoyment opportunities for audiences.

The city plans to operate experience booths, food booths, and subsidiary events during the festival period. Booths where visitors can experience everything from traditional culture to cutting-edge technologies such as robots and extended reality (XR) buses will be operated. The venue will be composed of traditional booths, modern booths, sales markets, food trucks, and rest areas.

The '101st Suwon International Academic Conference' will be held at Suwon Convention Center in January next year. It will be organized by the Korea Tourism Association and sponsored by the city.

The city plans to propose the academic conference's main theme as 'Transition of Sustainable Regional Tourism Ecosystem Based on Strategic Tourism Campaigns'.

In addition, special sessions with themes including △Suwon Tourism Year and tourism legacy △Expansion of stay-type content based on world heritage/festivals/night tourism △Barrier-free tourism and innovation in reception capacity △Connection of MICE based on Suwon Convention Center and stay economy, along with 'general/graduate student thesis sessions' and 'university student tourism competitions' are planned to be proposed.