The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 27th that the service area for the ‘Digital Tourist Resident Card’ aimed at revitalizing tourism in areas with declining populations will be expanded to 34 locations, more than doubling the previous number, starting from the 1st of next month.
As a result, the number of businesses eligible for benefits will also increase from the existing 300 to over 800.
The Tourist Resident Card, launched in 2022, is a kind of honorary resident card issued to population-declining areas facing the threat of regional extinction. By scanning the QR code provided at tourist facilities and businesses in the area after obtaining the Tourist Resident Card, one can receive discounts on various travel conveniences such as entrance tickets to local tourist attractions, accommodations, meals, experiences, and experiential events.
Newly added benefits include a 20% discount on the Gapyeong Bridge Zipline experience in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, a 10% discount on the Cheese Theme Park experience in Imsil, Jeonbuk Province, a 30% discount on the Ilight Hotel in Youngdong, Chungbuk Province, and a 20% discount at the Whale Bone Camping Ground in Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk Province.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold monthly nationwide events starting in June, aiming to activate the Tourist Resident Card. For example, those who use KTX products at 12 nearby stations operating the Tourist Resident Card at specific times (from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.) can receive a 35% discount.
Other upcoming events include a short video competition (June to July), operation of promotional booths at Hiker Ground (July), and an event for certifying reviews after using Tourist Resident Card benefits (August).
To systematically operate the Tourist Resident Card, the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization will hold regular meetings where local governments participating in the program and tourism industry officials gather in one place. At the first meeting to be held next month, local governments and businesses with significant achievements will be awarded, and exemplary cases will be shared.
Park Jong-taek, head of the Tourism Policy Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said, “To enhance the attractiveness of the Tourist Resident Card, we will expand the major benefit areas in collaboration with local governments and the regional travel industry,” and added, “Through rich events, diverse benefits, and promotional marketing, we will establish the Tourist Resident Card as a leading project that revitalizes local areas.”