Hwang Gyo-ik, president of the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI), said Sunday, "I want somewhat uncomfortable content to be presented and debated in this venue."
"Rather than saying 'I am doing well,' criticisms such as 'Isn't something going wrong?' or 'Wasn't what we have done until now a series of failures?' will lead our path forward to a more solid and brighter road," he said.
At a special session hosted by the KCTI during the 100th Korea Tourism Association Seoul International Academic Conference, held at the Westin Josun Seoul hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, participants discussed the current state of regional tourism and policy directions under the theme "Strategies for Improving the Constitution of Regional Tourism and Maximizing Its Appeal in the Age of Localism."
In his welcoming remarks, Hwang proposed examining culture and tourism from a new perspective. "It is true that the tourism industry is a key sector driving the national economy," he said. "But at the regional level, it is a little different."
"At a time when regions are now mired in the swamp of population decline and local extinction, you have all long heard that the tourism industry is an important growth engine that creates new value based on a region's unique resources and breathes vitality into the local economy," he said. "But the reality is in fact not so good."
Hwang added, "It is clear that regional tourism can be an important policy tool driving sustainable regional growth. From this perspective, today we seek to diagnose the present state of regional tourism and explore growth strategies for regional tourism that fit the age of localism."
In his closing remarks after the special session, Hwang stressed, "Korea is living well. That is why an enormous number of foreign tourists now come (to see this Korea)." He added, "And yet the reason they don't come (to the regions) is, I think, perhaps because the regions are not prosperous. If a place is not prosperous, there is nothing to tour, isn't there? It seems to pose the task that the problem is not tourism, but that making regional life itself more affluent should come first."
Hwang expressed his views at a public event about two months after he was newly appointed on April 17. This is interpreted as meaning that innovation is needed in the KCTI's research.
Meanwhile, this special session was arranged as part of the "Regional Tourism Network Forum," which the KCTI has held annually, together with the Korea Tourism Association's 100th academic conference. Kang Shin-kyum, a professor at Chonnam National University who delivered the keynote presentation, spoke on the theme "The State and Development Direction of Regional Tourism." He emphasized a shift in perception regarding industry, resources, and policy to strengthen the competitiveness of regional tourism, and was credited with presenting the role of governance for future regional tourism innovation.
Son Shin-wook, an associate research fellow at the KCTI who gave a topic presentation, pointed out in "The State and Development Measures of Regional Tourism Transport" that the development of regional airports is needed to improve tourists' access to regions and mobility convenience.
The ensuing panel discussion was chaired by Lee Won-hee, head of the KCTI's Tourism Research Division, with participants including Shim Min-seok, director of the International Tourism Service Division at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Han Sang-hyun, a professor at Dong-eui University; Choi Kyu-wan, a professor at Kyung Hee University; Kim Il-a, CEO of Localective; and Lee Woo-seok, CEO of Meokgonollab.
