GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

An analysis of the operation of the Foreigner Tour Taxi Program in the first half of this year for free independent travelers (FITs) by Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and Gangneung City has shown a surge in foreign tourists visiting Gangneung.

The Foreigner Tour Taxi was introduced to address the issue concerning traveling between tourist destinations, which has been noted to cause the biggest inconvenience for foreigners traveling outside Seoul. The taxi service allows users to conveniently travel to their desired destinations by taxi for a fixed fee.

A total of 5,111 foreign tourists visited Gangneung in the first half of this year, a 244% jump from the same period last year. This attests to the fact that Gangneung, one of the most popular tourist destinations among Koreans, is also gaining recognition outside the country. 

A closer look at the stats shows that tourists from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Japan were the main users of the taxi service, and the most popular destinations were the filming location of the drama, “Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,” BTS Bus Stop, Gangneung Coffee Street, Gyeongpo Beach, and Jungang Market. This appears to be a reflection of the trend to visit areas associated with hallyu (Korean wave) content among FITs.

“In order to realize our vision of becoming the capital of healing travel in Asia, we are actively exploring tourism products for group travelers as well as FITs among foreigners,” said Eom Geum-moon, head of the Tourism Policy Division, emphasizing the importance of attracting inbound tourists from abroad. 

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