Local governments, merchants suffer as spring festivals canceled

Tourists enjoy tulips at a festival in Imja Island, South Jeolla Province, in this March 31, 2014, photo. The nationally famous festival has been canceled for the second consecutive year due to fears of COVID-19. Korea Times file.

By Bahk Eun-ji

Dozens of flower festivals and other springtime cultural events have been called off across the country for the second consecutive year due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic which is showing no signs of abating.

Local governments, residents and merchants of the affected regions are suffering as tourists' spending at these events had been their main source of finance.

Starting from the end of February, Sinan County of South Jeolla Province removed about 1 million tulips from Imja Island after deciding to cancel the nationally famous Shinan Tulip Festival there. Imja Island is the venue of the annual spring flower festival, but the county office decided to call off the event to prevent an influx of tourists.

"The local residents are very sorry for the cancellation of the festival, which was slated for mid-April," said Kim Jung-won, chairman of the festival promotion committee. "The tulip festival is a major event in Sinan, and I am already worried about the negative impact on the local economy," he said.

Local residents on Imja Island have shown a great sense of loss as the spring flower festival was a major source of income for them.

A pedestrian passes by cherry blossom trees around Seokchon Lake Park in Songpa District, Seoul, March 5. Yonhap

The tulip festival, started in 2008, drew more than 50,000 people from across the country in 2019 alone, and tourists used to buy local specialties such as green onions, salted fish and tulips during the festival period. Various fisheries products were also sold at nearby Songdo Public Market, but it will likely be canceled this year.

Merchants who used to make ends meet during the festival season have been suffering for nearly a year, with their hopes for this year's festivals disappearing.

For Kim Se-jung, who runs a food truck selling pizza in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, his main source of revenue was visitors to local festivals held in the province. "Now without any festivals to visit, I have to sell pizza on the streets in the neighborhood, and my income has been cut to almost one 10th compared to before the pandemic," Kim said.

For many other festivals, local governments have decided to cancel them or limit the opening hours to areas where people usually gather to enjoy flower blooms.

The Goryeosan Mountain Azalea Festival held on Incheon's Ganghwa Island, which drew nearly 430,000 people in 2019 alone, was also canceled this year again, dashing residents' expectations for the festival to revitalize the local economy.

Azaleas bloom on a hill in Mount Goryeo on Ganghwa Island in this file photo. Korea Times file

"Goryosan Azalea Festival is a major event in Ganghwa, but we cannot push ahead with the festival when the safety of our residents and tourists is threatened by COVID-19," Ganghwa County head Yoo Chun-ho said.

Seoul's Songpa District, where thousands of people gather to enjoy cherry blossoms around Seokchon Lake, has not made a final decision on how to hold the cherry blossom festival.

"Last year, we opened it partially for nearby residents from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. The same opening hours have been applied so far this year, but it can be adjusted," an official of the district office said.

"Cafes and other shops around the lake used to enjoy special benefits due to the influx of people during this period when spring flowers bloom," said Kim Tae-il, a cafe owner near the lake.

"We also expected an economic recovery this year with the flower festival, but entrance to the lake is restricted again. With the cancellation of the festival for two consecutive years, there is great economic impact as well as psychological fatigue among small business owners like me."

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