{
  "id": 9056327,
  "title": "Celebrity guides, feng shui trails lead travelers off beaten path",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/celebrity-guides-feng-shui-trails-lead-travelers-off-beaten-path",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-22T01:57:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/travel-food/20260922/celebrity-guides-feng-shui-trails-lead-travelers-off-beaten-path"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Korea is pioneering a novel approach to liven up sleepy rural communities and reshape domestic tourism. The country is inviting visitors to explore its countryside not by following maps, but by following specific themes. This autumn, travelers can hike up hazy mountainsides with a Feng shui expert, observe rare birds alongside a celebrity actor, or prepare seasonal meals with a renowned chef. The program, named \"Five Passions, Five Journeys,\" is spearheaded by Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) as part of its larger Travel Autumn campaign.\n\nThe initiative aims to tackle a significant issue plaguing Korea: the alarming rate of regional depopulation. As younger Koreans migrate to the bustling Seoul metropolitan area for job opportunities and higher education, rural counties are grappling with dwindling populations and quiet streets. To combat this trend, government tourism officials believe that introducing urban dwellers to their unique hobbies will generate persistent foot traffic in these under-explored areas. Interested individuals can submit applications until September 30 for one of 700 limited spots across 25 themed day-trip itineraries.",
  "summary": "In a fresh effort to revitalize quiet country towns and rethink domestic travel, Korea is inviting vacationers to explore the countryside not by map, but by specific themes. Under a newly launched autumn initiative, travelers can trek up mist-shrouded peaks with a feng shui master, spot rare birds alongside a celebrity actor, or cook seasonal feasts with a prominent chef. The program, dubbed…",
  "key_points": [
    "Korea launches 'Five Passions, Five Journeys' program to boost rural tourism",
    "Visitors explore countryside with Feng shui experts, celebrity guides, chefs",
    "Program aims to address regional depopulation by attracting urban tourists"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Korea's themed travel initiative aims to revitalize rural areas by drawing urban tourists to the countryside with unique experiences, targeting the country's issue of regional depopulation.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Celebrity guides, feng shui trails lead travelers off beaten path",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/celebrity-guides-feng-shui-trails-lead-travelers-off-beaten-path-9058513",
        "published": "2026-09-22T02:07:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}