Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun: "Let's Unite to Make Suwon a World-Class Tourism and Festival City"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, "I hope our citizens will join us on the journey to transform Suwon into a global culture and tourism festival city."

At the "Global Culture and Tourism Festival Committee Inaugural Ceremony" held at the Suwon Convention Center on the 16th, Mayor Lee said, "The goal is to make the 'K-Culture Road,' based on the joint reenactment of King Jeongjo's Royal Procession, into a global festival," and called on citizens to "unite to make Suwon a world-class tourism and industry city."

The inaugural ceremony was an event to announce Suwon City's new beginning as it leaps forward as a global culture and tourism festival city and to share the vision of 'Global Culture and Tourism City of Suwon' with residents.

Following the inaugural ceremony, a talk concert was held featuring Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun, City Councilor Kim Jun-hyuk (Suwon City Council), Professor Jeong Lan-soo of Hanyang University's Department of Tourism, and Italian broadcaster Alberto Mondi as panelists.

The Global Culture and Tourism Festival Committee serves to support Suwon's cultural and tourism resources, including the Three Major Hwaseong Festivals of Suwon—the Suwon Hwaseong Culture Festival, the joint reenactment of King Jeongjo's Royal Procession, and Suwon Hwaseong Media Art—to develop into world-class festival content.

Mayor Lee Jae-jun presented appointment letters to committee members, including Co-Chair Jung Chan-hae. He also appointed City Councilor Kim Jun-hyuk as the Honorary Director-General of the Global Culture and Tourism Festival.

During the talk concert, participants discussed topics including the appeal of Suwon as seen by international tourists, Suwon Hwaseong's global competitiveness as a tourism resource, and the growth potential of Suwon's Three Major Hwaseong Festivals.

Alberto Mondi said, "I have lived in Korea for 19 years and visited Suwon many times. When foreign friends come to Korea, I tell them to 'definitely visit Suwon,' and everyone I know who has visited Suwon is satisfied."

Hanyang University Professor Jeong Lan-soo stated, "Three things are necessary for becoming a world-class culture and tourism festival city: representativeness, participation, and extended-stay capacity. Suwon needs to be branded as the 'World Heritage Festival City' closest to Seoul."

City Councilor Kim Jun-hyuk said, "By widely sharing the stories of King Jeongjo's reform spirit and his people-loving leadership embodied in Suwon Hwaseong, we can attract tourists."

Mayor Lee Jae-jun said, "We must publicize the sights, entertainments, and experiential content that Suwon offers and expand the festival spaces. Moreover, if our citizens warmly welcome tourists, even more visitors will come to Suwon."

Meanwhile, the city plans to develop Suwon's Three Major Hwaseong Festivals into cultural tourism content sought by people worldwide and strengthen the foundation of an 'extended-stay tourism city' where festivals, tourism, historical and cultural resources, local commerce, and citizen participation are interconnected.