Celebrity guides, feng shui trails lead travelers off beaten path

In a bid to reinvigorate dormant rural towns and reshape domestic tourism, Korea is offering intrepid travelers an unconventional roadmap to explore the countryside. The novel autumn initiative, named "Five Passions, Five Journeys," is spearheaded by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) as part of its broader "Travel Autumn" campaign.

This program allows visitors to traverse mist-covered mountains alongside feng shui masters, spot rare avian species in the company of celebrity actors, or prepare seasonal feasts under the guidance of renowned chefs.

Applications for the program, which offers 700 limited spots across 25 specialized day-trip itineraries, opened on September 1 and will close on September 30. Each itinerary is meticulously crafted around distinct passions rather than the conventional sightseeing checklist. This novel approach directly tackles the pressing issue of severe regional depopulation plaguing Korea.

As younger residents gravitate towards Seoul for career and educational opportunities, rural counties are witnessing dwindling populations and quiet main streets. Government tourism officials anticipate that by connecting urbanites with their personal interests, this unique travel experience will generate consistent foot traffic in under-represented areas.