Bonghwa, a county in North Gyeongsang Province where descendants of Vietnam's Ly Dynasty settled, will be developed as a key hub for regional tourism products targeting Vietnamese visitors.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Wednesday that it will work with the Korea Tourism Organization, North Gyeongsang Province and Bonghwa County to develop new inbound tourism products connecting the historical and cultural assets of Bonghwa, Andong and Yeongju in North Gyeongsang Province.
The project aims to translate the two countries' historical ties, highlighted at the Korea-Vietnam summit in April, into actual tourism demand. At the time, the government described Vietnam as a "country of in-laws," emphasizing the emotional bond, while Vietnam also cited the Vietnam-related historical sites in Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province, as a symbol of friendship between the two nations.
Bonghwa is the area where Prince Ly Long Tuong of Vietnam's Ly Dynasty, who took refuge in Goryeo in the 13th century, settled. Based on this historical background, the ministry plans to develop story-based tourism content centered on Bonghwa's "K-Vietnam Valley" and linked with UNESCO World Heritage sites including Andong's Hahoe Village and Yeongju's Buseoksa Temple.
Work on commercialization will also begin. The ministry and the tourism organization will hold a preliminary inspection tour from Friday through July 2, inviting officials from local Vietnamese travel agencies, Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam's state broadcaster VTV. Participants will tour Busan, North Gyeongsang Province, Seoul and Suwon in turn, examining the potential and areas for improvement as inbound tourism products.
The North Gyeongsang Province itinerary will be concentrated on June 29-30. Participants will visit Andong's Hahoe Village and Woryeonggyo Bridge, Bonghwa's K-Vietnam Valley and Buncheon Station's Santa Village, and Yeongju's Buseoksa Temple. In particular, Lee Chang-keun, Vietnam's tourism ambassador and a 26th-generation descendant of Prince Ly Long Tuong of the Ly Dynasty, will accompany the tour to introduce the two countries' 800-year bond.
"This project will serve as an opportunity to expand inbound tourism routes, which are concentrated in the metropolitan area, to small regional cities," a ministry official said. "We will continue to discover regional tourism content imbued with historical stories to diversify the inbound market and ensure that tourism demand spreads to the regions."
