South Korea partners to grow sustainable tourism

South Korea has ambitious plans for the development of inbound tourism. The country plans to attract 17 million foreign tourists by 2018, up from 13 million currently. Achieving the goals will require major developments in infrastructure and services to meet the needs of visitors from around the world. Already, for example, the rapid growth in numbers of visitors from China alone has brought headaches as ever more tourists visit historic locations. Elsewhere in Asia there are similar issues.

The South Korean government plans to encourage than KRW 25 trillion won in investment, mainly from Korean companies, to build up the country’s tourism industry its competitiveness.

The plan, formulated jointly by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and other government agencies, calls for spending of KRW 16.8 trillion already earmarked for mega projects, while attracting KRW 8.5 trillion in new investment to build two new integrated resorts with casinos and tourist hotels.

To develop solutions to the problems such massive growth could bring, The Korea Business Council for Sustainable Development (KBCSD) has extended an agreement with EarthCheck, an Australia-based scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism. The goal is to help develop sustainable tourism practices both Korea and the region.

Korea Business Council for Sustainable Development (KBCSD) is a CEO-led organisation of companies that endeavours to put Korean Industry on track to economic development in harmony with environment and social development.

Established in 2002, KBCSD membership spans around 50 leading Korean enterprises, each of which is involved in developing sustainable business practices. The KBCSD is also a partner of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
According to the KBSCD, the partnership with EarthCheck will help guide the sustainability and corporate and social responsibility initiatives of the Korean tourism industry.

 The KBCSD is spearheading sustainable initiatives in Asia, particularly in the areas of improving the energy intensity of the Tourism sector, achieving a resource-efficient society at the local level, promoting sustainable development, and fostering inter-regional cooperation.

The EarthCheck partnership is expected to help lower tourism’s overall environmental impact and operational costs while supporting local communities, both in Korea and Asia.

Since 1987, EarthCheck has been working with businesses, communities, and governments to deliver clean, safe, prosperous and healthy destinations for travellers to visit.