The highest competition rate is 589 to 1… Local governments making natural recreation forests.

The latest of the 134 public natural holiday forests opened in July this year is Yeonamdo Natural Holiday Forest in Daejeon, which saw its competition rate for room reservations soar to 589 to 1. The demand for such natural holiday forests is growing, with the number of public natural holiday forests increasing by 23% over the past six years, from 109 in 2020 to 134 in 2023.

Meanwhile, private natural holiday forests only increased by 11.6% during the same period, and the number of national holiday forests rose by just 2%. The public natural holiday forests have become increasingly popular, with annual visitors rising from 731,000 in 2020 to 1.58 million last year, marking a doubling of usage. The success of these holiday forests is evident in their popularity, with all rooms at Yeonamdo and Miwonbalmibir Natural Holiday Forests in Gimpo filling up by March this year.

The potential of these natural holiday forests to boost tourism and the local economy is clear, with plans underway to construct new ones in Gangwon's Jeongseon and Daegu's Nakseon.