North Gyeongsang designates 6 new wellness destinations for rest, healing

Sadamjae Stay / Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Government

North Gyeongsang Province said Monday that it had newly designated six wellness tourism destinations in response to growing demand for travel that promotes both physical and mental well-being.

The new additions are Sono Calm Gyeongju Wellness Pool & Spa in Gyeongju, Seonseonghyeon Cultural Complex in Andong, Sadamjae Stay in Mungyeong, St. Benedict Cultural and Spirituality Center in Chilgok, the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum in Bonghwa and the Uljin Yacht School.

The latest designations bring the number of wellness tourism destinations in North Gyeongsang Province to 30.

Sono Calm Gyeongju Wellness Pool & Spa, located in the heart of the Bomun Tourist Complex, offers running routes around Bomun Lake, a 1.65 million-square-meter artificial lake, as well as body balance classes, spa treatments and tea ceremony programs.

The Seonseonghyeon Cultural Complex in Dosan-myeon of Andong, allows visitors to experience “Hwarinsimbang,” a health guide written by Joseon-era scholar Yi Hwang, and enjoy foot baths under the night sky.

Another newly designated site, Sadamjae Stay in Mungyeong, features morning yoga and hot spring experiences, while the St. Benedict Cultural and Spirituality Center in Chilgok runs monastery tours and individual meditation programs.

The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum, located in Bonghwa, combines guided arboretum tours with emotional healing programs. Finally, the Uljin Yacht School pairs yacht excursions with wellness programs built around watching the sunrise and sunset from the water.

The North Gyeongsang provincial government said it will provide tailored consulting to assess each destination’s operating conditions and content, while supporting improvements in visitor services, promotion and marketing, and tourism product development.

The province said it will also help promote the destinations through tour packages developed with travel agencies, discount campaigns on online platforms, participation in domestic and international tourism fairs, and online and offline marketing.

“North Gyeongsang Province has the competitive edge needed to develop wellness tourism, drawing on its abundant healing resources, including forests, the sea and its historical and cultural heritage,” said Park Chan-woo, director general of the province’s Culture, Tourism and Sports Bureau.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.