Provincial gov't announces tourism promotion plan to ease burden on fire-hit Gangneung

A local resident sobs while looking at what remains of her house in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Wednesday, a day after a massive fire hit the region. Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

Gangwon Province will launch a campaign to encourage tourists to visit the northeastern coastal city of Gangneung, which was hit by a massive wildfire last week.

The campaign comes as the reservation cancellation rate for accommodation in Gangneung has increased, between 20 to 40 percent, since the fire broke out, according to a provincial office.

This is raising concerns among local residents because tourism is a major source of income for many of them.

“As people tend to hesitate to visit a place hit by a disaster, Gangneung has suffered from the rapidly increasing reservation cancellation rate,” an official from the provincial office said. “We will actively inform the public of the fact that their visit will be of great help to local residents.”

The province will participate in a tourism fair to be hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Association of Travel Agents on April 26 to initiate its campaign.

During the fair, the province is planning to ask travel agencies to develop tourism products covering tourist attractions in Gangneung.

The province will also ask public institutions across the country to hold their respective events such as workshops or education sessions in Gangneung.

Targeting members of the public, the province will post relevant advertisements on Seoul Metro line No. 1 through 4, as well as on the electric signboards in expressway rest areas to encourage people to visit Gangneung.

In cooperation with online travel platforms, the province will offer various coupons to tourists visiting the fire-hit area on a first-come-first-serve basis.

The fire broke out in the seaside city at around 8:30 a.m. last Tuesday and spread quickly due to a combination of high wind and dry weather.

The main body of the blaze was brought under control in the afternoon on the same day, but one man in his 80s was found dead.

According to local authorities, the fire destroyed 154 residential houses, 78 tourist accommodation places and eight restaurants.