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The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister YU In Chon, MCST), in collaboration with the Korea Tourism Organization (CEO KIM Jang Sil, KTO), has organized the “International Accessible Tourism Forum 2023.” This event, focusing on future tourism strategies that embody diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), along with the “2023 International Regional Tourism Promotion Forum,” will be held from December 11 (Mon) to 15 (Fri) in Seoul and Jeju.

Debate on the theme of “The Future of Tourism for All,” and prepare the event based on the principle of barrier-free access

The “2023 International Accessible Tourism Forum” will be held in Seoul on December 11 under the theme “The Future of Tourism for All.” Approximately 100 participants, including experts from South Korea, the UN World Tourism Organization, Australia, Thailand, Spain, Malaysia, Japan, European Union Accessible Tourism Centers, architects specializing in accessible destinations, developers of travel applications for the visually impaired, writers from Lonely Planet, influencers with disabilities, and a representative from Tourism All Korea, will attend. These attendees will engage in robust discussions. Igor Stepanovich, an expert on accessible tourism from the UNWTO, will highlight the significant impact of tourism accessibility on the world’s 1.3 billion people, its role in fostering social inclusion, and its potential as a high-growth business sector.

According to the UNWTO’s Accessibility Standards recommendations, this event will apply the principle of barrier-free access to all aspects of the event, including site selection, stage ramp installation, wheelchair accessibility, sign language interpretation availability, and event management personnel training. On December 12, attendees will visit and assess sites like the Chuncheon Samaksan Mountain Lake Cable Car and the Animation Museum & Toy Robot Studio, chosen as accessible tourist destinations for 2024, to discuss potential enhancements.

Refining the role of tourism in mitigating regional disparities and population decline

The “2023 International Regional Tourism Promotion Forum,” to be held in Jeju from December 13 to 15, will convene experts and scholars from Korea, the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD), the UNWTO, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Japan, as well as academics from Jeju Island. This forum, featuring contributions from diverse regional tourism stakeholders, including those from the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), Jeongseon-gun, Gochang-gun, and Yangyang-gun, will focus on detailing the role of tourism in addressing the regional disparities and population decline in the Korean society.

In a keynote speech, Jasper Heslinga, a member of the Tourism Policy and Analysis Team of the OECD, will highlight the importance of “diversification” in the composition of tourists, tourism products, tourist destinations, and peak tourism seasons as vital directions for future tourism policies and regional development strategies. He will emphasize that tourism success should be redefined to include socioenvironmental factors, extending beyond gross domestic product (GDP) and visitor numbers. The conference will also introduce the UNWTO’s Best Tourism Villages project, present best practices, and discuss each country’s regional tourism policies and new trends in tourism, such as remote working in vacation destinations (workations). On December 15, attendees will also visit Jeju’s Dongbaek Village and Sehwa Village, selected as the “Best Tourism Villages” by the UNWTO in 2023.

Both events will be live-streamed online via the MCST’s Facebook page. Interested individuals can preregister online at http://intl-tourismforum.kr.

BAK Jong Taek, the Director-General of the MCST Tourism Policy Bureau, said, “Following COVID-19, major international organizations, such as the UN World Tourism Organization and the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation, have been actively engaging in discussions on the sustainable and resilient growth of the tourism industry. In line with this, the MCST is committed to sharing diverse and inclusive views on accessible and regional tourism with the international community while also expanding policy support in these fields.”