The government said it would open restricted cultural sites to tourists from next year and build new performance and art centers.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it would also foster exhibition and convention industries as well as the high-return medical travels through enhanced infrastructure and overseas promotion.
The measures, announced at the Presidential Council on National Competitiveness on Friday, are designed to help Korea attract 10 million visitors by 2012.
The most eye-catching is a plan to open to the public five restricted areas at royal palaces. Taewonjeon and Geoncheongung of Gyeongbok Palace - one of five palaces in Seoul built by the Joseon Dynasty - will be open to the public entrance from January next year.
Gyujanggak, the royal library, of Changdeok Palace will also become available for viewing next year, although the date has not been settled.
Other cultural sites that will be open to visitors include Gwandeokjeong of Changgyeong Palace from January and Geunjeongjeon of Gyeongbok Palace from July next year.
The ministry is planning to introduce a pass ticket that covers entry to all five palaces in Seoul from next June, but details such as pricing still need to be finalized, the ministry said.
In 2011, Korea will host the "Daejanggyeong expo" to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the creation of Goryeo Daejanggyeong (Great Collection of scriptures in Goryeo). This will spread Korea`s Buddhist culture to a wider audience and also offer the chance to experience Confucian culture, it said.
By creating an eco-friendly park over the landfill in Incheon spanning some 7 million square meters, the government will aim to restore the ecosystem as well as create new tourism options.
Rail bikes and other leisure activities will be provided at 22 different sections of unused railway track totaling some 700 kilometers in length.
Working with the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Culture Ministry will secure five performance and art halls in Seoul by the end of next year. They will stage performances of Korean traditional music, musicals, non-verbal performances, B-boying and pop music. The new centers - either by construction or purchase of existing space - will enable each performance to be staged for at least three months.
The government will also put more effort toword help industries that bring high spending visitors, as medical travel and convention hosting, the ministry said.
Among other measures included in the extensive plan were constructing a large fashion complex near Incheon International Airport, publishing new travel guides and improving the foreign language directions on some 10,000 signposts nationwide.
The ministry hopes to attract 10 million travelers from overseas creating value-added worth 1 trillion won as well as 390,000 new jobs by 2012. The ministry hopes that the measures will make Korea the world`s 20th travel and tourism competitive country by that year, from the current 35th.
The move comes at a time of improving tourism here, thanks to the weak won and active overseas marketing. The tourism deficit is expected to shrink to $51 billion by the end of this year, compared to over $100 billion last year.
The overall plan, however, lacked measures to help existing domestic travel businesses, prompting criticism that it lacks direct measures to increase the number of inbound tourists.
By Lee Joo-hee
(angiely@heraldm.com)
[출처 : 코리아헤럴드]
