According to estimates by the event’s organizing committee, more than half of all participants will be from overseas, with participation expected from approximately 150 countries. The event will take place across 15 regions nationwide, including Seoul. Based on projected figures—including the number of international participants, the number of participating countries, and the diversity of venues—this event is set to surpass not only major sports events such as the “2002 Korea-Japan World Cup” and the “2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics” but also all previous international events held in Korea, including the “2012 Yeosu Expo,” which ran for three months.
Father Lee Jae-hyup (Dominico), a member of the organizing committee, stated, “We plan to officially begin registration for the event this coming October,” adding, “We have raised the target for overseas participants, taking into account the symbolic significance of this being the first event held since the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV, as well as the high interest in and popularity of Korean culture, including K-culture.”
◇1 Million Participants Expected, Including 600,000 Foreigners
Established in 1985 by Pope John Paul II and held every two to three years in different locations, this marks the first time the World Youth Day has been hosted in South Korea. It is the second such event in Asia—the first being held in the Philippines in 1995—and the first of the 17 international events to be held in a non-Christian country.
In an economic impact analysis report released last October, the Korea MICE Tourism Association projected that this event would generate over 3.1 trillion won in induced output and nearly 1.32 trillion won in induced value added. Based on a total of 1 million participants, the number of international attendees is estimated at 400,000—less than the recently revised target of 600,000—and this is a conservative estimate calculated assuming a stay of only 6 days out of the 11-day event period.
Just as important as the event’s religious significance, symbolism, and economic impact are its ripple effects on the tourism and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) industries. Experts from academia and the industry view this event—which will bring together 1 million participants from around the world over a period of just over ten days—as both an opportunity to showcase Korea’s capability to host mega-scale international events and a prime opportunity to boost inbound tourism demand. This is because the majority of participants are laypeople rather than clergy, and they are young people aged 15 to 35—a demographic with significant potential for future economic growth and increased spending power.
The event, which officially runs for 11 days, begins with 15 diocesan competitions nationwide (July 29–August 2) and continues with the main competition in Seoul (August 3–8). Experts expect that this event, taking place in 15 cities including Seoul, will have a significant effect on revitalizing local economies in the short term and increasing regional tourism demand in the long term.
The organizing committee expects approximately 90,000 to 100,000 participants in the diocesan competitions held in the special Military Diocese and the regional dioceses of Incheon, Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Jeju, Suwon, Uijeongbu, Jeonju, Cheongju, Wonju, Chuncheon, Andong, and Masan (Changwon). Suwon is preparing for its diocesan tournament with the largest expected attendance among the regional dioceses—approximately 30,000 people—while Uijeongbu is preparing for an event on a scale similar to those in Incheon and Busan, with about 10,000 participants.
The association’s report projected that the economic benefits for regions outside Seoul would amount to 48% (approximately 1.52 trillion won) of the 3.1 trillion won in induced output and 44% (approximately 585.3 billion won) of the 1.32 trillion won in induced value added. This scale is not significantly different from that of the main event in Seoul, indicating that the economic benefits of hosting the convention will extend across the entire country rather than being concentrated in a single city. Based on an estimated 100,000 participants from local dioceses, the direct and indirect economic effects resulting from their consumption spending in their respective regions are projected to reach 154.5 billion won. Han Jin-young, President of the Korea MICE Tourism Association, emphasized, “The balanced regional ripple effect is the most distinctive feature and advantage of the World Youth Day.”
◇Seize the Opportunity to Revitalize Regional Tourism Beyond Short-Term Effects
There is a call for meticulous strategy and preparation to ensure that this event serves not only as a short-term boon for the tourism and MICE markets—such as achieving the goal of attracting 30 million foreign visitors to Korea—but also as a catalyst for long-term regional tourism revitalization. This is because it could present a golden opportunity to tap into latent tourism demand in regions where attracting foreign tourists has been a distant dream due to a lack of recognition as travel destinations.
An official from a regional travel agency, who requested anonymity, pointed out, “In the regions, there is still a tendency to view the World Youth Day as merely a Catholic religious event, citing budget and personnel shortages.” In fact, most package tour products currently offered by domestic and international travel agencies in connection with the event are tailored to Seoul, with virtually no products incorporating regional destinations.
Some in the regional tourism and MICE industries are also arguing that the local events taking place across the 15 dioceses should be strategically linked with nearby areas experiencing population decline. They explain that nearly half of the total event period is scheduled outside of Seoul, and the fact that participants will stay with local host families for part of the time aligns perfectly with recent travel trends that prioritize experiencing local daily life and culture. Some also advise launching a large-scale campaign offering “half-price travel” benefits—such as discounts on lodging, transportation, and tourist attractions—for repeat visits to these regions.
Blanche Meluzin, a director at “Tour de Corée,” which sells travel packages to Korea for French-speaking countries, said, “From a foreigner’s perspective, it’s not easy to spontaneously travel to regional areas without a special motivation or occasion like the World Youth Festival.” She added, “Since most participants are in their teens to thirties and are proficient in social media, the word-of-mouth effect of promoting the region through them is expected to be significant.”
