15 Ministries, Private Sector, and Local Governments Join Forces on President-Led National Tourism Strategy

- Cabinet approves comprehensive amendment to the “Regulation on the Composition and Operation of the Council for National Tourism Strategy” on October 20, placing the Council under the President and strengthening its role in coordinating government-wide tourism policy

- Legal basis established for an “Advisory Group” and a “Regional Tourism Promotion Council,” enabling the private sector and local governments to take part in shaping the national tourism strategy

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Minister CHAE Hwi-young, MCST) announced that the Cabinet approved a comprehensive amendment to the “Regulation on the Composition and Operation of the Council for National Tourism Strategy” (hereinafter, the amendment) on October 20 (Tuesday). The amendment, which comprehensively reorganizes the Council for National Tourism Strategy following its transfer to the President’s authority, will take effect on October 29 (Thursday).

Government-Wide Public-Private Partnership Comprising 15 Ministries and the Office of the President to Foster Tourism as a Core National Strategic Industry

The amendment is significant because it strengthens public-private cooperation in tourism promotion following the April revision of the Framework Act on Tourism, which transferred the chairmanship of the Council for National Tourism Strategy (hereinafter, the Strategy Council) from the Prime Minister to the President. With the addition of the Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, who oversees the exhibition industry related to MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions) tourism, and the Minister of Employment and Labor, whose ministry is responsible for workforce development and job creation in the tourism sector, the heads of a total of 15 ministries* will now participate. The Strategy Council will also include the senior presidential secretary for tourism policy at the Office of the President, further strengthening its function as a central coordinating body for state affairs.

* Minister of Finance and Economy, Minister of Education, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Minister of Trade, Industry and Resources, Minister of Health and Welfare, Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment, Minister of Employment and Labor, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Minister of SMEs and Startups, and Minister of Planning and Budget

** With the Strategy Council moving from under the Prime Minister to under the President, the Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination has been removed from its existing members

The secretary of the Strategy Council will change from the Second Vice Minister of MCST to the Minister of MCST, who, as head of the ministry in charge of national tourism policy, will help ensure that the Strategy Council’s discussions lead to concrete policies. The existing “Vice-Ministerial Coordination Committee,” which reviews agenda items ahead of the Strategy Council meeting, will be reorganized into a “Working-Level Coordination Committee” chaired by the senior presidential secretary in charge of tourism policy, strengthening effective coordination among ministries.

Private Sector and Local Governments Join National Tourism Strategy Framework; New Policy Evaluation and Feedback Function Introduced

The amendment also provides for the formation of an Advisory Group of up to 20 tourism policy and industry experts. The Minister of MCST will appoint experts who can advise the Strategy Council in specific areas, such as inbound tourism, regional tourism, tourism infrastructure, and the tourism industry. A legal basis has also been established for operating the “Regional Tourism Promotion Council” to gather input from and cooperate with local governments. The council, chaired by the Second Vice Minister of MCST and composed of the deputy heads of metropolitan and provincial governments, will discuss agenda items to be submitted to the Strategy Council.

In addition, the amendment explicitly includes the establishment of tourism promotion plans and the evaluation of their implementation results, with those results feeding into future plans, within the Strategy Council’s scope of deliberation and coordination. This establishes a feedback system for reviewing each ministry’s performance and incorporating the findings into subsequent plans.

Minister CHAE Hwi-young stated, “Through the Strategy Council led by the President, Korea now has a tailored public-private tourism partnership in which ministries, the private sector, and local governments join forces.” He added, “This amendment will serve as a strong policy foundation for the tourism industry, which is both a ‘strategic industry for national growth’ and a ‘breakthrough for overcoming regional decline.’”