Gangneung City, located in Gangwon Province, South Korea, has long been a powerhouse in domestic tourism. Now, the city is setting its sights on the international market, focusing on Taiwan and Japan due to their proximity.
In the coming year, Gangneung City aims to expand its target markets to include South-east Asia, a region that is increasingly captivated by K-culture – Korean music, dramas, and films, shared Um Kum Mun, tourism policy department director, Gangneung City.
The city was the film site for popular dramas such as Goblin and The Glory.
Meanwhile, the city’s business events infrastructure is expanding. A yet-to-be-named convention centre is being built in the Olympic Park. This is scheduled for completion in 2026, in time for the 32nd ITS World Congress in October. The high-profile event on smart mobility and digitalisation of transport is expected to attract participants from 100 countries.
It is the city’s first purpose-built convention centre. The city has set its sights on the business events industry and intends to grow inbound corporate incentive events as well.
With Gangneung City being connected to Seoul by a three-hour ride on the KTX high-speed train, Um said his destination would be attractive for twin-city leisure and MICE itineraries.
