Geoje City is turning up the heat on attracting Japanese travelers by using Osaka — Japan’s economic and transportation hub — as a strategic launchpad.
From the 10th to the 12th, Geoje will host 15 executives and promotional staff from the Korea–Japan Exchange Association in Osaka for a two-night, three-day fam tour designed to showcase the city’s best tourism offerings.
The tour answers a growing trend toward \"global local\" tourism. It highlights authentic, everyday culture in Geoje — like a self-guided stroll through Gohyeon Traditional Market and a hands-on yuzu makgeolli brewing workshop — to promote regionally unique experiences to Japanese audiences.
Importantly, the delegation will use a direct flight route from Osaka’s Kansai Airport to Gimhae International Airport. Officials say that direct link should make Geoje more accessible to Japanese visitors and help build a tighter Korea–Japan tourism network.
During the visit, the group will explore Geoje’s signature spots — including Oedo Botania and the Panorama Cable Car — and immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere and food scene of Gohyeon Traditional Market while gathering promotional material to share in Japan.
A Geoje tourism marketing official said, “Osaka is a major market with high demand for travel to Korea. We hope this promotional visit will translate into actual group bookings from Japanese tourists.”
World’s only ‘Marine Tech Workation’ debuts
On the 9th and 10th, Geoje will welcome 40 experts — including startup founders from the Seoul metro area and local creators — for a two-day pilot fam tour to help develop a new Geoje-style Marine Tech Workation product.
This isn’t just a getaway. The program aims to establish a third-generation, scaling workation model that pairs Geoje’s one-of-a-kind shipbuilding industry sites with its tourism assets — blending work, industry insight, and local culture.
The city is collaborating closely with the Geoje Gohyeon Autonomous Commercial District Association to create a win-win local innovation model that encourages visitors to stay longer and spend in the community.
The guest list reads like a who’s who of global innovators: Kim Kang, CEO of Kangsters, an able-tech company honored with the Edison Awards gold and a CES Innovation Award; Yoon Jae-joong, CEO of GreenUp Company, whose reusable-container circulation platform surpassed 10 billion KRW (7.5 million USD) in revenue; Koo Bon-moo, CEO of East to West, selected as a 'NEST' company by the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund; plus regional influencers from Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang with a combined following of roughly 250,000.
Over one night and two days, participants will kick off with a Yard Safari tour of Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries — emblematic sites of Geoje’s industrial energy — then visit Geoje’s central market and the Gohyeon commercial district. They’ll assess Geoje’s distinctive stay-and-work tourism offerings and map out ways to turn them into sellable products.
Through this pilot, Geoje plans to launch mid- to long-term stay options — think “live and work in Geoje for a month” — aimed at longer, more meaningful visits.
Officials hope these workations won’t be one-off trips but will spark a virtuous cycle: higher revenues for local small businesses and stronger local brands.
Jeon Je-jong, head of Geoje’s Tourism Division, said, “This workation, built on the world’s only marine-tech resources, will show that Geoje is more than a tourist spot — it’s a place where innovators find inspiration and grow. By linking industry, tourism and commerce in an integrated innovation model, we’ll cement Geoje’s reputation as a city people want to stay in.”
