Korea maps out plan to build 'golden routes' around 5 airport hubs
Seeking to break a long-standing concentration of international tourism in its capital corridor, Korea has unveiled an ambitious strategy to route millions of incoming travelers directly into its provinces through five designated regional airport hubs. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Thursday that it will establish broad regional travel zones anchored by international airports in…
Korea has unveiled an ambitious plan to diversify international tourism beyond its capital corridor, focusing on five key regional airport hubs. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism revealed Thursday that it will create extensive regional travel zones centered around international airports in Gimhae, Daegu, Cheongju, Yangyang, and Muan.
The government has allocated 93.5 billion won ($70 million) to establish seamless transport networks, issue unified transit-and-shopping passes, and promote historical and ecological circuits abroad. This policy shift comes as Korea records record-setting foreign arrivals fueled by global fascination with Korean pop culture, cuisine, and media content.
However, the economic benefits remain heavily concentrated, with most overseas tourists continuing to visit only Seoul or Jeju Island, leaving inland regions and coastal cities with underutilized infrastructure and dwindling local populations. Under the new model, the regional airports will serve as gateways to these underexplored areas, aimed at distributing tourism revenue more evenly.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
