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View all search resultsSuwon sees increase in visitors following campaign
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Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO heritage site in Suwon, South Korea. (Shutterstock/-)
T
ravelers may include Seoul on their bucket list when traveling to South Korea, but not everyone sets their sights on Suwon, the capital of Gyeonggi-do province. However less popular, the number of tourists in the world-heritage site city has been increasing sharply following the launch of the Visit Suwon Hwaseong Year campaign.
According to an interim report by the city on the initiative, more that 3 million travelers visited the area in the first half of this year, consisting of 2,328,843 locals and 744,564 foreigners. This means a 1.4 million or 88.6 percent increase in visitor numbers from 2015.
(Read also: Incheon airport to hire robots for cleaning, concierge)
As Suwon city aims to attract 7 million visitors in 2016, efforts have been made to increase the awareness of people both inside and outside the city. In January, the city arranged an academic forum to highlight King Jeongjo's ideology and philosophy. King Jeongjo was the 22nd ruler of the Joseon dynasty. The forum also talked about the historic value of UNESCO-cultural heritage site Hwaseong Fortress that was built during King Jeongjo's reign in the city.
Suwon has also introduced events to attract younger people that include K-pop concerts, a model festival and a science exhibition. Lodging facilities, traffic system and service infrastructure have also been upgraded to cater to visitors' needs. The city also intends to incorporate new vehicles, including trains, hot air balloons and bicycle taxis.
Other cultural programs are also on the list. King Jeongjo's pilgrimage to the Yunggeon Royal Tomb will be reenacted in a performance and will be the highlight of cultural programs of Visit Suwon Year. (asw)
