South Korea's Chungbuk and Chungnam Drive Regional Tourism Growth with Wellness and Culture Focus
South Korea's Chungcheongbuk-do (Chungbuk) and Chungcheongnam-do (Chungnam) provinces are intensifying efforts to draw more international visitors by developing their wellness and cultural assets, moving beyond the country's primary urban centres. This strategy includes new infrastructure, targeted marketing, and enhanced visitor services, as reported by TTG Asia on 31 July 2026.
Expanding Regional Appeal and Market Targets
The South Korean provinces of Chungbuk and Chungnam are actively expanding their tourism appeal to a global audience, seeking to diversify visitor flows beyond Seoul and Busan. These regions, known for their natural landscapes and cultural sites, are focusing on wellness and heritage tourism. Chungnam, which saw inbound visitors primarily from Japan, Taiwan, and the US between 2024 and 2025, now aims to attract more travellers from South-east Asia, Europe, and the Americas this year. Chungbuk, while noting China, Vietnam, and Japan as its main inbound markets, also reports rapid growth from the Philippines, the UK, Canada, and Mongolia. The province has set a target of four million annual visitors and intends to increase the share of overnight stays to 30 per cent, according to TTG Asia.
Strategic Investments and Accessibility Enhancements
To achieve these ambitious targets, both provincial governments have initiated several programmes. The Chungnam Culture & Tourism Foundation is implementing the Ultra-wide Tourism Transportation Innovation Leading District Project, designed to improve internal accessibility. Chungbuk introduced the Foreign Tourist Attraction Incentive Program for 2026, offering tiered incentives to both domestic and international travel agencies for overnight stays, day tours, activity-based tourism, and charter flights. From 2026 to 2028, Chungbuk is also undertaking a government-funded Wellness Tourism Cluster Development project, focusing on creating wellness tourism resources, products, brand identity, and talent. Cheongju International Airport facilitates access to both provinces with 19 international routes connecting cities in Japan, China, Mongolia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. High-speed rail from Seoul reaches Cheongju in 41 minutes, complemented by the C-Tour Bus and Tourism DRT (Demand Responsive Transit) for intra-provincial travel, TTG Asia reported.
New Product Development and Event Calendar
Chungnam is promoting itself as a location for healing and high-value-added tourism. Lim Jong-gwan, team leader of the Tourism Marketing Team at the Chungnam Culture & Tourism Foundation, stated that the province aims to attract large international conferences and incentive groups via a new convention centre in Cheonan, scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. The province’s event calendar includes the inaugural Taean International Horticulture & Healing Expo in May, the Boryeong Mud Festival in summer, and in 2027, the Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo and the Boryeong Island Biennale. Chungbuk is developing stay-based tourism products that integrate natural landscapes, traditional culture, local cuisine, and wellness. New attractions include the Mancheonha Skywalk, Cheongpung Lake Cable Car, and Jecheon’s Yakchaerak medicinal food brand. Chris Kwon, team leader of the Global Tourism Team at the Chungbuk Cultural Foundation, mentioned that Chungbuk is also creating specialised itineraries linked to K-Beauty programmes, Korean drama filming locations, and major international events in 2027, such as World Youth Day and the Chungcheong World University Games, as detailed by TTG Asia.
Enhanced Visitor Support and Industry Engagement
Both Chungbuk and Chungnam are improving visitor support services. This includes multilingual guide services at key tourism sites. Chungnam has implemented a foreign-language reservation and payment system through a smart mobility platform linked to the C-Tour Bus, which connects Cheongju International Airport with Gongju and Buyeo. The C-Square Travel Lounge, which opened in November 2025 near Yongdusaji Cheoldanggan Square in Cheongju, provides K-Beauty programmes, local dining and shopping information, luggage storage, tax refund, and currency exchange services. Visitors can also use the C-Pass Shopping Voucher, a digital voucher accepted at over 50 businesses in commercial districts. For trade partners, Chungbuk’s Global Tourism Team offers support for group travel, including itinerary planning, transport assistance, interpretation services, marketing materials, and familiarisation tours, TTG Asia reported.
Implications for Asian Travellers and Regional Tourism
The concerted efforts by Chungbuk and Chungnam to enhance their tourism infrastructure and product offerings carry significant implications for Asian travellers and the broader regional tourism industry. These developments provide alternative South Korean destinations for travellers from key Asian markets like Japan, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines, who may seek cultural immersion and wellness programmes beyond the typical urban centres. The expanded international routes at Cheongju International Airport directly benefit regional connectivity, potentially increasing direct access for travellers from these countries. Furthermore, the focus on K-Beauty and K-Drama linked itineraries could particularly resonate with younger Asian demographics. The provinces' initiatives demonstrate a strategic shift towards dispersed tourism, a model that could be replicated or adapted by other Asian destinations aiming to alleviate overtourism in primary hubs and distribute economic benefits more widely across their regions. This expansion of South Korea’s tourism landscape offers new choices for both leisure and incentive travel groups from across Asia.
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