South Korea Expands Barrier-Free Tourism with Wheelchair-Accessible Canoes, Trails and Facilities
Creatrip Team
18 days ago
South Korea is accelerating 'barrier-free tourism' by improving paths and facilities so people with disabilities, older adults, pregnant women and families with young children can travel without limits. Since 2015 the Korea Tourism Organization has created nationwide "open tourism" sites. Examples include Chuncheon Uiam Lake’s first domestic "King Canoe" that allows boarding in a wheelchair, Gangneung Yeongok Beach’s universal-design (UD) caravan for wheelchair-accessible camping, Namwon Astronomical Observatory’s wheelchair-accessible stargazing and kiosks for visually impaired visitors, and Hahoe Mountain’s 2025 barrier-free trail to rhododendron fields with a shared cart (나눔카트).
The Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry and the Korea Tourism Organization are running a call for regional governments from the 7th–30th to join the “2027 Barrier-Free Tourism Environment” program. They will fund 30 individual open tourism sites with 250 million won each and select one local government to receive up to 4 billion won per year for three years to strengthen connected barrier-free travel chains. Selected areas will also receive expert accessibility consulting, on- and offline marketing, and staff training. This year’s program newly includes support for experiential activities to broaden travel options for vulnerable groups. Details and application forms are available on the ministry site and the “Open Tourism for All” website.
