Discover Why Gangwon Province Wins Best Tourism Award for 3 Consecutive Years at 2026 Travel Expo

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Chuncheon — By Lee Seong-hyun

Gangwon Province and the Gangwon Tourism Association took home the Grand Prize at the 2026 Naenara Travel Expo, co-hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Association. The win marks Gangwon’s third straight year of recognition, following the Grand Prize in 2024 and the Excellence Award in 2025.

According to Gangwon officials on March 22, the Naenara Travel Expo ran March 19–22 at COEX in Magok, Seoul. The four-day event aimed to uncover fresh domestic travel packages and boost sales through on-site promotions and activities. About 160 domestic and international tourism organizations and local governments participated, filling 385 booths.

Gangwon styled its pavilion as “Everything about travel! Gangwon Travel Mall (TRAVEL MALL).” To stand out from other provincial booths, 18 municipalities pooled resources into a single integrated promotional booth, a move that drew praise. Each municipality hosted two-hour participatory events—think local food tastings—that proved popular with visitors. Officials also partnered with Yeongwol County to promote the Danjong Cultural Festival and worked to turn the buzz around Wang Sa-nam into tourist visits.

Lee Dong-hee, director of Gangwon Province’s Tourism Bureau, said, “Going forward, we will strengthen collaboration between the province and its municipalities so Gangwon can move beyond being South Korea’s tourism capital and rise as a global tourism hub.”