Eco-friendly tourist spots become popular amid pandemic

The entrance to Gyeongbok Palace in central Seoul is quiet amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, Aug. 23. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

By Jun Ji-hye

The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes in travel patterns as more people this year opted to visit beaches and rural areas seeking safer travel opportunities in less-crowded destinations.

This trend meant traditionally popular tourist spots such as Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, which is known for its numerous historical landmarks, have seen a decrease in the number of tourists this year from a year earlier.

According to a report by Kim Eun-hee, a research specialist at the Korea Tourism Organization, Seoul's Jongno District and Gyeongju have respectively suffered 25.9 and 28.9 decreases in the number of tourists this year, while there was a 30.9 percent fall in the number of visitors to Andong, North Gyeongsang Province.

The findings were published in a recent report announced by Statistics Korea.

Tourists to Jeju City and Seogwipo City on the southern resort island of Jeju have also decreased by 31.7 percent and 33.8 percent, respectively.

Jongno, located in the heart of Seoul, has been consistently bustling with tourists in previous years due to its abundant tourist attractions such as palaces and museums, while Andong has maintained many of Korea's traditions.

But regions that are close to big cities and boast natural tourist attractions have enjoyed an increase in the number of tourists despite the pandemic.

Hanam and Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province have seen 14.7 percent and 6.6 percent increases in the number of tourists, respectively, while islands in Incheon's Ongjin County saw a 4.3 percent jump, and visitors to Gijang County in Busan increased by 2 percent.

Imsil County in North Jeolla Province has also seen a 9 percent rise in visitors.

Most areas in Gangwon Province have seen the growing trend in tourists, with the greatest increase reported in Yangyang (62.3 percent). This was attributed to improved accessibility to those regions and increased quality of accommodation there following the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“Gangwon Province's natural environment in addition to the improvement of transport convenience and accommodation have made the province more attractive as a tourist destination amid the pandemic,” Kim said.