*This content was translated by AI.
When traveling to rural population-reduced areas, some of the expenses can be refunded with mobile local gift certificates.
The Ministry of Strategy and Budget announced on the 27th that it will organize a budget (6.5 billion won) to promote a pilot project for "Local Love Vacation Support (half-price travel)" with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization.
Half-price travel is the first system implemented this year to cope with the disappearance of local populations by revitalizing tourism in rural population declining areas. It will be refunded up to 100,000 won for individuals and up to 200,000 won for groups of two or more people.
If you spend 200,000 won for one person and 400,000 won for two or more people, you will see the effect of "half-price travel," in which 50% of your travel expenses are refunded with a mobile local love gift certificate, inducing revisiting to the region.
In order to promote the pilot project, the government has invited 84 rural population-reducing areas to participate in the project since January, and finally selected 16 areas after evaluation.
16 local governments, including Pyeongchang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, Hoengseong-gun, Jecheon-si, Chungcheongbuk-do, Gochang-gun, Gangjin-gun, Haenam-gun, Goheung-gun, Wando-gun, and Yeongam-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, Miryang-si, Hadong-gun, Hapcheon-gun, Geochang-gun, and Namhae-gun, were finally selected as target areas for the project.
Citizens (applicants are 18 years of age or older) who wish to participate in this project must first apply for a travel plan in the area for approval. If you submit evidence of travel expenses actually spent on travel, 50% will be refunded to mobile local love gift certificates after confirmation by local governments.
Refunded local love gift certificates must be used within this year. It can be used at travel local merchants or online shopping malls that sell local specialties.
As details such as the timing of application in advance, how to prove it, and how to use refunded gift certificates vary from region to region, it is recommended to check the areas where applications can be made through every corner of Korea (visitkorea.or.kr ) before the full-scale implementation in April. In addition, it is necessary to check whether expenses can be supported through the website information for each region.
After conducting the regional love vacation support project for 16 regions in the first half of the year, the government plans to invite four more regions in the second half of the year.
It also plans to comprehensively review the results of this year's pilot project and continue to promote the project by gradually expanding the target area from next year.
"The 'Regional Love Vacation Support' project is a meaningful project to refine the success model of local governments and spread it across the country," said Choi Hwi-young, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. "We will work closely with local governments to ensure that this pilot project will revitalize regions suffering from population decline and establish itself as a successful model that provides opportunities for affordable and enjoyable domestic travel to the people."
"Half-price travel" is also a policy that President Lee Jae-myung has emphasized the need to introduce in terms of balanced regional development.
At the expanded National Tourism Strategy Meeting held on the 25th, President Lee Jae-myung pointed out, "The fruits of the growth of the tourism industry should be enjoyed by small businesses across the country and local business owners. If we do not change the reality that 80% of foreign tourists are concentrated in Seoul, it is difficult to sustain the growth of the tourism industry."
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*This content was translated by AI.
