Korea launches big data contest to boost regional tourism

Visitors stroll along a shopping zone in Myeong-dong, Seoul, June 24. Yonhap

As data analytics increasingly shape how modern cities manage crowd flows and revitalize neighborhood economies, Korea’s official tourism agency is turning to the public for innovative ways to turn massive data sets into real-world economic strategy.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in tandem with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), announced on Tuesday the launch of the 2026 Korea Tourism Data Lab Contest. Running through late September, the nationwide initiative invites individuals, researchers and businesses to demonstrate how insights harvested from the country’s official tourism data portal can solve pressing industry challenges, optimize local festival planning and boost regional spending.

The contest comes during a period of surging engagement for the platform.

In the first half of this year alone, the Korea Tourism Data Lab logged an average of 780,000 monthly visitors — a 23.6 percent increase compared to the same period of 2025, driving cumulative traffic past 5 million users. Meanwhile, media citations referencing the portal’s behavioral analytics have leaped 2.5-fold over the past 12 months, reflecting a growing reliance on big data across both public and private sectors.

Open to individuals, teams of up to four and corporate entities, the competition encourages participants to go beyond basic metrics. Submissions can range from analyzing visitor demographics to craft targeted festival marketing, to cross-analyzing tourist spending patterns with nontourism datasets like financial transactions or transit logs to revive struggling commercial districts.

Following written evaluations and live presentations, a total of 19 standout proposals will be selected for awards totaling 20 million won ($14,500). The top prize — awarded directly by the culture minister — includes a 5 million won purse. Online submissions remain open through 2 p.m. on Sept. 30, with an official awards ceremony scheduled for October 23 in Seoul.

“Public and industry interest in tourism analytics is accelerating rapidly,” said Lee Mi-sook, head of the KTO’s Tourism Data Hub team. “We hope the standout strategies discovered through this competition can be deployed across the sector, sharpening the overall global competitiveness of Korea’s tourism industry.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.