Jeonbuk State promotes tourism as a strategy to overcome the population crisis. The plan is to redesign tourism policies, which have previously been pursued separately by each city and county, around a strategy of selectivity and concentration. Rather than focusing on quantitative expansion and the piecemeal development of individual facilities, the province aims to transform its tourism sector by developing content built around compelling stories and themes. The key is to link tourist attractions across the 14 cities and counties, diversify travel routes, and encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more in the region.

 

Jeonju Hanok Village has surpassed 10 million annual visitors, but some observers argue that the benefits have yet to spread to the province’s other cities and counties. As tourism resources remain disconnected across cities and counties, investment has been concentrated in facilities such as deck roads and observation decks that resemble those found in other regions. As a result, efforts to build distinctive brands around each area’s unique traditional culture have fallen short. The lack of an airport and a cruise port capable of receiving international tourists is also a major obstacle.

 

Accordingly, Jeonbuk State is shifting its focus toward tourism that encourages longer stays and greater visitor spending. By easing regulations and expanding investment incentives, it aims to attract private investment and strengthen nighttime tourism content through the Jeonju Night Tourism Specialization City project and the Buan & Muju Night Tourism Promotion City project. The province aims to revitalize culinary tourism through newly launched K-Food festivals and K-Food routes, while expanding tourism-related offerings through initiatives such as half-price travel programs to boost visitor spending.

 

Park Dongwoo, Director General of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau of Jeonbuk State, said, “Tourism is ultimately the solution to regional decline in an era of population loss, and individual cities and counties cannot increase visitor numbers and spending by working in isolation. We will create favorable conditions for private investment by easing regulations and expanding incentives, and redesign tourism to connect places and experiences across time and space.”