The government has designated May 6 as a temporary national holiday, linking Children’s Day on May 5 and Sunday on May 8 to form a four-day golden holiday with the goal of boosting domestic demand via improved domestic tourism. May is the Month of Family. 

The step is part of the government’s efforts to reinvigorate the domestic tourism industry, providing a shot in the arm for the national economy, said Director General Kim Tae-hoon in charge of tourism policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST). 

A view of Nami Island, Gangwon-do. (Photos:MCST)

A view of the 2016 International Horticulture, Goyang, Korea, an international flowers’ festival held at Lake Park from April 29 to May 15.

Spring Tourism Week falls between May 1 and May 14. 

The government’s designating of May 6 as a temporary national holiday is designed to help people spend time with their children who would normally have classes on May 6. 

All vehicles traveling on the temporary national holiday will have toll charges exempted along all expressways around the nation, including those with private investments. Families with three or more members traveling on all railway routes will be given a 20 percent discount in fares for all trains, including the KTX from May 1 to May 31. 

Four royal palaces in Seoul — Joseon royal tombs, the National Science Museum, national forestry retreats and arboretums — will be opened to the general public free of charge from May 5 to May 8.

Playing grounds, auditoriums and educational facilities of local governments, public enterprises and public organizations will be opened to the public free of charge. 

Such sports facilities as the Taeneung International Skating Rink will be opened to the public free of charge on Children’s Day, and visitors to ballparks are given a 50 percent discount on pro baseball tickets on the one-time national holiday. 

The government encouraged economic organizations and large-sized companies to help SMEs and temporary employees spend time with their family members during the holiday. It also asked educational institutes to skip classes during the holiday. Government officials and employees of public organizations and company employees have been encouraged to make the most of the consecutive holidays to travel in Korea. 

About 13,000 outlets are expected to participate in a promotion campaign offering up to a 70 percent discount during the weekend. About 2,100 lodging companies will give a discount. Such facilities as Let’s Run Farm Jeju, a restricted horserace farm run by the Korea Racing Authority, will be opened to the public free of charge or at a discounted rate. 

A view of Seopjikoji, Jeju Island.

The National Library of Korea will open on the temporary national holiday on May 6 unlike other public organizations. Families accompanying their parents and grandparents will be allowed to give a “one plus one” ticket benefit to the traditional Korean opera “Madame Ong.” 

An art general manger has been appointed to diversify contents and events tailored to meet the needs of the Spring Tourism Week. They include events designed to win women’s hearts on the occasion of Lovers’ Day, which falls on May 7 and Wives’ Day, which falls on May 14. 

Local governments have explored tourism contents, tourist sites and specialties on the occasion of the Spring Tourism Week. On the grand prix winner list is Daegu City’s program “Daegu Is Beautiful”; Gangwon-do’s program “Dream Story Tour in Train”; and Chungcheongbuk-do’s program “My Own Style Bus Tour.” The program “Daegu Is Beautiful” includes tasting food at famous eateries, experiencing beauty courses, and a photo contest. Under the program, a one-day tour to such tourist sites as Gyeongju and other Gyeongsang area as well as to the Hanok Village in Jeonju and other Honama area will be offered at a reasonable price of 10,000 won and 15,000 won, respectively. 

Korail and other public organizations have joined forces in exploring diverse train tour programs. For instance, Korail, the Small and Medium Business Administration, and other public bodies have jointly developed train tourist programs connecting traditional Korean markets in eight provinces and their neighborhood tourist attractions.

The Buddhist Cultural Business Team offers one-night, two-day temple stay programs involving 76 temples across the nation with a fee of 10,000 won per head. 

Tour programs linking 2016 Tourist Cities Jecheon, Muju and Tongyeong are offered during the Spring Tourism Week. 

The government introduced Tourism Weeks as part of efforts to boost domestic tourism demand during the second extended meeting of tourism-related ministries at Cheong Wa Dae on Feb. 3, 2014. The government steps included providing vacation subsidies to workers at small- and medium-sized businesses and creating tourism weeks twice a year in May and September during which students are allowed to leave for short vacations so that families can go on domestic trips together. Such experience programs included Camping Week, Temple Stay Full of Happiness and Rural Village Tour Family Week. They will be given bigger discounts. Government ministries, including the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Cultural Heritage Administration, collaborated in presenting tour programs to offer tourists a package of benefits.

The outcome of a survey conducted by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute in 2014 and 2015 showed that about 3.72 million Koreans travelled across the nation during spring and fall tourism weeks, representing a 25.2 percent surge over the 2.97 million Korean travelers that made trips during a similar periods of 2014, contributing to boosting awareness toward domestic tourism and reinvigorating local economies.