'From a One-Night Stopover to a Three-Night Stay'... Yeosu Launches a 'Tourism Transformation'

【Financial News Yeosu=Reporter Hwang Tae-jong】Yeosu is pursuing a 'tourism transformation' with the goal of moving visitors 'from a one-night stopover to a three-night stay.'
 To this end, the city will be divided into six specialized zones—Expo, Yi Sun-sin Square, Ungcheon–Soho, Gukdong Port, Hwayang–Eleven Bridge, and Dolsan—and integrated tourism belts tailored to each area's identity will be developed.
 In particular, Yeosu plans to accelerate the development of related infrastructure by 2030, including a beauty, spa, and wellness tourism hub, the Bitseom Park project, and the Yeosuro Seom-it (sum-it) Trail.
 Yeosu Mayor Seo Young-hak said at the meeting, "We will create a sustainable tourism ecosystem where visitors can stay an extra day and experience Yeosu's diverse attractions by bringing together the city's blessed natural scenery and abundant infrastructure. Through this, we will firmly emerge as the world's leading marine tourism city," he emphasized.


 According to Yeosu City on the 29th, the Expo area—one of the six specialized zones—is rapidly emerging as a global tourism district combining cruises with the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) industry, based on the infrastructure of the Yeosu World Expo Site. Through this year, the city has ranked first in the MICE industry city category of the Korea Representative Brand Awards for four consecutive years, proving its competitiveness as a business tourism city. Once the International Marine Leisure Tourism Complex Center and a 20,000-seat domed complex stadium are built, the area is expected to become a MICE mecca attracting visitors from around the world.
 The Yi Sun-sin Square area is being developed into the premier destination for history and culture tourism, built around the powerful brand of 'Yeosu, the city of Yi Sun-sin.' Major historical restoration projects are under way, including the restoration of the Jeolla Jwasuyeong Dongheon and Seokbo, Jinnamgwan Hall media art, and permanent exhibitions at the Sunso Theme Video Hall. The city will also combine the Yi Sun-sin Road, which connects Jinnamgwan Hall with Goso-dae and Cheonsa Mural Village, with Namdo cuisine such as Yeosu's 10 Delicacies to create a stay-based historical and cultural tourism destination where visitors can walk, taste, and experience.


 The Ungcheon–Soho area will be developed as a cultural and artistic hub where people can enjoy art in their daily lives. The existing Yeulmaru Art Center and Sunso Theme Garden will be newly connected with the waterfront park, Jangdo Island, and Soho Bridge through the 'Art Sea Linkway.' Offshore in front of Soho Dongdong Bridge, a permanent storytelling drone light show featuring 1,000 drones will showcase Yeosu's vision.
 The Gukdong Port area will be transformed into an 'Emotional Port' by making use of the dynamism of the traditional harbor and its marine scenery. The exterior walls of the aging Gukdong Fisheries Cooperative frozen-food plant will be transformed into a large media façade displaying spectacular light art. A nighttime themed landscape connecting Dangmeori Shell Beach and Namsan will also be created, turning the area into a center of gastronomy and emotional experiences that appeal to all five senses.

 
 The Hwayang–Eleven Bridge area, located on the outskirts away from the urban center, will be specialized as a hub for rest and healing. It will be developed around a healing and wellness theme that makes use of the islands' pristine natural environment, while a high-end beauty and spa hub will provide genuine relaxation.
 The Dolsan area is expected to become Yeosu's most dynamic hub for recreation and experiential tourism, with anchor projects such as Bitseom Park added to its existing distinctive attractions, including large ocean-view cafés, Yeosu Art Land, and zip lines.
 

 Yeosu is also introducing a comprehensive 'three-night, purpose-driven tourism model' that integrates history, culture, and sports. To encourage longer stays, the city will actively leverage its distinctive marine and island environment, develop locally specialized leisure and sports tourism content such as trail running, yachting, and fishing, and attract various sporting events, including large-scale training camps.
 Beginning in 2028, the city will introduce packages and tailored incentives to encourage stays of three nights or longer. After 2030, it plans to launch strategic targeted promotional campaigns linked to major sporting events. Through these efforts, Yeosu aims to significantly increase the average tourist stay from the current 1.8 days to 3.2 days.
 Yeosu will also pursue major qualitative reforms to strengthen the substance of its tourism ecosystem. To dramatically improve chronic complaints, such as price gouging and unfriendly service, that reduce satisfaction with tourism in Yeosu, the city will introduce a mobile-based real-time integrated tourism quality management system (Y-TQMS).
 The city also plans to assign unique IDs to major tourist facilities to systematically accumulate data and upgrade its integrated tourism app, Yeosu EN, so that complaints can be filed in real time and prompt feedback can be provided.
 In addition, Yeosu will pursue the development of 'landmark-style complex tourism amenity facilities (Art-Rest)' in collaboration with renowned architects and artists. The project will apply Yeosu-specific designs to the renovation of aging public amenities. 
 The city also plans to establish an operating system for a dedicated future tourism organization to lead professional and consistent tourism administration centered on data and trends. It will first expand governance with private tourism-related businesses in the Yeosu area and, in the medium to long term, consider establishing a Tourism Bureau (or Division) within the Yeosu Cultural Foundation or creating a new tourism foundation.

[email protected] Hwang Tae-jong Reporter