Yongam County is taking significant steps to enhance food and lodging services, which shape tourists' first impressions, in preparation for the '2027-2028 Visit Year.' Hong Yeon-joo, the head of the tourism department, is focusing on creating a welcoming environment for visitors.
On September 4, Yongam County conducted a joint public-private campaign at the Agricultural Museum in Samho-eup, where the '2026 Yongam Fig Festival' was held. The campaign aimed to improve hygiene and hospitality services at restaurants and lodging facilities while addressing the issue of overpricing.
About 20 participants, including members of the Yongam County Food Hygiene Team, the local economic team, the restaurant association, and local business owners, took part in the initiative.
The participants promoted the message, 'Safe Food! Comfortable Lodging! First Impressions of Yongam!' as they visited the festival site and surrounding businesses, emphasizing the importance of service improvement in the food and lodging sectors.
The campaign particularly focused on areas that tourists can directly experience, such as restaurant hygiene, cleanliness of lodging facilities, friendly service, and the elimination of overpricing.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to not only attract tourists but also enhance the quality of services they experience during their stay in Yongam ahead of the 'Visit Year.'
Yongam County recognizes that relying solely on tourist attractions and festival content has its limitations. Therefore, improving the first impressions and satisfaction levels created by local restaurants and lodging facilities is also crucial.
Hong Yeon-joo views these improvements in tourism services as a key task in preparing for the Visit Year and plans to create a welcoming environment that connects food and lodging businesses with local tourism sites.
Starting with the Fig Festival, the county plans to continue hygiene and hospitality campaigns during upcoming local festivals and peak tourist seasons, while also encouraging voluntary participation from the private sector.
Hong Yeon-joo stated, “The impressions tourists receive from restaurants and lodging facilities are significant memories of their Yongam trip. We will ensure that visitors can eat safely and stay comfortably, fostering a desire to return.”
She added that attracting a large number of tourists is important, but equally vital is the experience visitors have during their stay, emphasizing the need for ongoing collaboration between the tourism industry and local government to improve services.
Meanwhile, Yongam County aims to use the '2027-2028 Visit Year' as an opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of its local tourism industry, continuing preparations to attract tourists and promote extended stays. The plan includes improving service quality at points of contact with tourists, such as food and lodging, alongside festivals and attractions, to create an image of 'Yongam, a place you want to revisit.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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