CHANGWON — The government is launching a project to build Gimhae International Airport into a gateway for foreign tourists, with the South Gyeongsang Province cities of Geoje and Tongyeong included as linked destinations in a push to revive tourism along the country's southern coast.
South Gyeongsang Province said on the 14th that the Gimhae Airport tourism zone was selected as one of five zones under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's program to develop tourism zones centered on regional airports, a project pursued as a national policy priority. Geoje and Tongyeong were included as linked cities.
The program aims to use regional airports as entry points for foreign visitors and to connect tourism resources in nearby cities into world-class regional travel zones. A total of 93.5 billion won ($67 million) is planned, including 65.9 billion won in central government funding and 27.6 billion won from local budgets, based on the 2027 government budget proposal.
Geoje and Tongyeong will first be developed as core bases for inbound tourism on the southern coast. The plan calls for a "South Coast Inbound Tourism Gold Route" linking Busan's K-culture and urban attractions, Geoje's marine, nature and wellness offerings, and Tongyeong's culture, arts and cuisine into a single itinerary.
The idea goes beyond simply connecting tourist sites. It envisions a stay-oriented travel route running from arrival at the airport to sightseeing in Busan, travel to the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province, and on to lodging, hands-on programs, dining and shopping. The goal is to increase both the time foreign tourists spend in the region and their local spending.
Products linking the eastern part of the province are also being developed. The province plans to commercialize a "Southeast K-Heritage Tourism Course" that combines Gimhae's Gaya cultural and historical resources and Yangsan's Buddhist temple culture and ecological resources with festival, shopping and dining content.
The province has formed a joint body with the Busan Metropolitan Government since January this year to campaign for the designation. It expects the selection to help tourism recover in Geoje and Tongyeong, where the industry has been struggling after recent flood damage.
"This selection has laid the groundwork for connecting tourism demand from Gimhae Airport and Busan to all of South Gyeongsang Province, including Geoje and Tongyeong," said Kim Sang-won, director general of the province's tourism development bureau. "We will carry out the tourism zone project in a substantive way so that it becomes a catalyst for foreign tourists to return to Geoje and Tongyeong, which are struggling with flood damage, and for the local economy to regain vitality."
The province plans to expand the Gold Route to Jinju, Sacheon, Namhae and Hadong, developing the entire southern coast into a global tourism belt. It will work with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization, and the cities of Busan and Ulsan to draw up a mid- to long-term tourism zone development plan for 2027 to 2030 within this year.
