[E-Daily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] Critics have pointed out that while the domestic camping market is rapidly restructuring around convenience-oriented facilities—such as glamping, caravans, and dome houses—and experiential products, relevant regulations remain stuck in the “tent” era. As South Korea approaches the era of 30 million foreign tourists, calls are growing to clarify the legal status of new types of camping facilities and revise licensing standards in order to develop camping into a regional stay-based tourism product.
At the “Seminar on Fostering K-Camping and Revitalizing Camping Tourism for the Era of 30 Million Foreign Tourists,” sponsored by the National Assembly and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on the 3rd, concerns were repeatedly raised that the Tourism Promotion Act and the Building Act are failing to keep pace with changes in the camping industry. While demand for camping is shifting from traditional tents toward glamping, caravans, car camping, and experiential products, the current regulatory framework still views camping facilities primarily as tents, leading to discrepancies in licensing decisions and safety management standards across local governments.

◇The Market Is Shifting Toward Glamping… But Regulations Still Focus on Tents
In her presentation, Kim Yoon-young, a senior researcher at the Korea Culture and Tourism Research Institute, pointed out, “The legal status of new types of camping facilities is unclear under both the Building Act and the Tourism Promotion Act,” adding, “As local governments interpret whether these structures qualify as buildings differently, investment uncertainty for business operators is increasing, and it is difficult to apply management standards consistently.” Researcher Kim proposed institutionalizing camping facilities other than tents as a separate category and establishing both their legal status under the Building Act and management standards under the Tourism Promotion Act.
The key issue is the restriction on building floor area. Current standards limit the floor area of structures within a campground to no more than 10% of the total site area and cap it at 300 square meters in conservation areas. The industry views these standards as excessively strict, given the growing demand for glamping facilities, showers, restrooms, sanitation facilities, and safety amenities.
At the seminar, proposals were put forward to adjust the floor area of buildings within campgrounds to align with the building coverage ratio and to relax the standard for conservation areas to around 500 square meters. However, it was noted that adjusting the standards for conservation areas requires consultation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, and that discussions among relevant ministries are necessary before the changes can be institutionalized.

Changes in the camping industry market are also adding momentum to the discussions on regulatory reform. Kim Hyun-jung, CEO of the Korea Convergence Tourism Research Institute, cited a survey on camping users and analyzed that while the number of campers dropped to 5.46 million in 2024, the average expenditure per visit reached the 500,000 won range for the first time. While new demand centered on equipment purchases has declined, spending focused on experiences, spaces, food, and convenience has increased. CEO Kim stated, “The focus of camping consumption is shifting from equipment to experiences,” adding, “Campgrounds should be viewed not merely as places to stay, but as base camps for regional tourism.”
The government also emphasized that the camping industry has entered a transitional phase. Kang Dong-jin, Director General of Tourism Policy at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, “The domestic camping market has recently seen its growth slow down and is entering a new transitional phase,” adding, “It is now time to move beyond quantitative growth to pursue a qualitative leap forward and strengthen the foundation of the camping industry.” He continued, “We will carefully consider the suggestions made today and spare no effort in providing institutional and policy support to help the camping industry expand onto the global stage.”

◇Potential to Attract Foreign Visitors Confirmed… On-Site Regulations Vary Widely
On-site discussions also highlighted the potential for K-Camping to distribute foreign tourists across regional areas. The Gyeonggi Tourism Corporation introduced a case study of camping packages for foreign visitors operated at the Paju Peace Nuri Campground. They created all-inclusive packages centered on glamping and caravans so that foreign visitors could enjoy the experience without bringing their own equipment, combining these with DMZ tours, purchases of local food, and K-BBQ experiences. According to the agency, the number of partner travel agencies increased from 16 to 31 during this process, and DMZ tourism—which had previously focused on day trips—expanded into extended-stay packages that included overnight accommodations and local spending.
However, concerns were raised that the infrastructure for accommodating foreign visitors remains inadequate. Specifically, there are significant barriers to identity verification and payment during the reservation process, and on-site, there is a lack of multilingual guidance and safety information. It was also pointed out that since foreign visitors arriving by air find it difficult to bring their own equipment, it is challenging to commercialize these packages based solely on campground reservations. Consequently, participants suggested that travel agency-linked packages, equipment-inclusive packages, on-site payment systems, and multilingual guidance systems must all be established together.
During the Q&A session, inconsistencies in on-site regulations were a major focus of discussion. One attendee who operates a campground in Chungju stated, “Even for the same facility, permit standards vary depending on the local government and the official in charge,” adding, “There have been cases where facilities that had already received final completion approval were targeted for demolition after a change in the official in charge.” Another attendee pointed out that in some local governments, sauna facilities within campgrounds are interpreted as requiring registration as public bathhouses, resulting in orders to restore the site to its original condition. This stems from the fact that campground operations are classified under the Tourism Promotion Act as “tourist facilities” rather than “lodging businesses,” leading to conflicts on-site regarding the application of the Public Health Control Act.
The issue of unregistered campgrounds was also raised as a major concern from the perspectives of safety and fair competition. Seok Young-jun, Secretary General of the Korea Camping Industry Association, pointed out that while registered campgrounds undergo electrical, fire safety, and sanitation inspections and are required to provide mandatory training, unregistered campgrounds are often excluded from these inspections. He stated, “Registered campgrounds comply with 48 safety standards and pay taxes, but unregistered facilities are frequently outside the regulatory framework,” emphasizing the need for a nationwide survey and phased rectification.
Strengthening operator capabilities was also identified as a key challenge. Secretary-General Seok proposed introducing a certification system—such as for campground safety managers—and establishing a National Camping School. His reasoning was that, since campgrounds are often located in mountainous areas, valleys, or along the coast—where fire and emergency medical services have limited access—facility standards alone have limitations in ensuring safety. He suggested applying the certification system to new operators while granting existing operators a grace period.
There were also calls for camping tourism to shift toward a model that generates tangible spending in local economies. Han Ki-ho, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, “There are complaints from the field that the economic impact on local communities is minimal because campers often bring everything they need, including food,” adding, “If money doesn’t circulate within the region, local governments will inevitably be reluctant to expand camping sites.” Kim Yong-tae, a lawmaker from the People Power Party, said, “K-Camping is a convergent tourism product that allows visitors to experience Korea’s nature, food, and culture together,” adding, “We need to develop policies and allocate budgets to attract foreign tourists to local areas.”
The camping industry views this discussion not merely as a matter of relaxing facility regulations, but as an issue that must be addressed holistically—including safety management, investment stability, attracting foreign tourists, and expanding local consumption. While the market has already shifted from tent-based leisure to tourism products combining glamping, caravans, and local experiences, the regulatory framework lacks the structure to classify and manage these offerings. In follow-up discussions, the extent to which the government and National Assembly institutionalize the legal status of camping facilities other than tents, building area standards, the rectification of unregistered facilities, and improvements to the capacity to accommodate foreign visitors is expected to serve as the first test for the K-Camping policy.