[Edaily Reporter Lee Seon-woo] The government will begin accepting public applications for “Youth Tourism Dure” community-based businesses starting on the 10th. This is part of the “Youth Tourism Dure Plus Project,” which is being implemented for the first time this year to revitalize regional tourism and encourage young people to settle down in local communities. This program limits the participants—who are the primary beneficiaries and operators of the existing “Tourism Dure” support project—to young people.

Eligible applicants are young entrepreneurs currently operating businesses or prospective entrepreneurs preparing to launch businesses in non-metropolitan areas (excluding Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Jeju) as of the announcement date. Approximately 100 businesses will be selected through the open call, and each will receive tailored support worth up to 26 million won, including customized consulting and market development assistance.

‘Tourism Dure’ is a policy initiative that supports local residents in establishing and operating tourism businesses that utilize unique local resources, such as lodging, food and beverage, souvenirs, travel, and experiences. Launched in 2013, the program has fostered over 1,400 resident-run businesses across 152 regions to date. As of June this year, it is supporting 154 resident-run businesses active in 40 local governments.

Recently, a call for proposals was conducted targeting 21 local governments nationwide, resulting in the selection of 48 new resident-run businesses for support. The business categories—including “experiences” utilizing natural environments and cultural heritage (25 locations), “food and beverage” utilizing local specialties (11 locations), and “travel” utilizing local cultural resources (8 locations)—are diverse, as are the regions, which include South Chungcheong (11 locations), South Jeolla (8 locations), North Gyeongsang (6 locations), and South Gyeongsang (5 locations).

Selected community-based businesses will receive support for up to five years, including capacity-building training, customized consulting on startup and management, product and menu development, design, and promotion/marketing, as well as pilot projects to validate business models and legal and tax advisory services, all within a budget of up to 110 million won. The program also plans to deploy “Tourism Dure PDs” (regional activity experts) to each region to provide close, on-site support aimed at maximizing the effectiveness of the projects.

For detailed information on the Youth Tourism Dure Resident Business Entity Open Call, please refer to the Tourism Dure website and the Korea Tourism Industry Portal “Tourraz.” An official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism stated, “The key to revitalizing sustainable regional tourism lies in local residents and young people creating their own unique regional content and becoming self-sustaining,” adding, “We plan to continue providing comprehensive support so that Tourism Dure resident-run businesses, including Youth Tourism Dure, can grow into leading brands that make people want to visit the region.”