Chungnam Province is pulling out all the stops to attract visitors, promoting its festivals at the country's largest festival expo while launching a tourism content contest to drive interest.
The province said it showcased its signature local festivals nationwide at the '2026 Korea Festival Expo' held at the Suwon Convention Center from the 17th through the 19th.
The expo is the nation's biggest festival-focused event, bringing major celebrations together and offering a clear snapshot of regional culture, arts and travel options.
At the event, the province spotlighted Chungnam’s flagship festivals — including the Boryeong Mud Festival and the Geumsan Ginseng Festival — and distributed brochures and promotional materials to entice visitors. It also highlighted county-level festivals and hands-on tourism programs, the '2025–2026 Year to Visit Chungnam,' the 2026 Taean International Horticultural Therapy Expo, and seasonal travel recommendations.
Working with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, Chungnam promoted the '2026 Accommodation Discount Festa' to encourage actual visits. On site, organizers ran interactive events and a photo zone for the Taean International Horticultural Therapy Expo to boost engagement, using county-specific content to spark broader interest in Chungnam tourism.
At the same time, the province has launched a tourism-content contest to mark the '2025–2026 Year to Visit Chungnam.'
The '2026 Chungnam Tourism Content (Photo & Video) Contest' invites submissions under the theme 'Chungnam I Want to Keep to Myself' through Sept. 30. The contest runs two categories: photos and vertical short-form videos.
Experts will select 43 winners — 26 photos (total prize money: 11,000,000 KRW (approximately $8,250 USD)) and 17 videos (total prize money: 16,000,000 KRW (approximately $12,000 USD)) — and the province will use the winning entries for future tourism promotion.
With this two-track approach linking on-site expo promotion to the content contest, Chungnam aims to grow its tourism brand and attract more overnight visitors.
A provincial official said, \"By participating in the expo, we aimed to raise nationwide awareness of Chungnam's festivals and broaden the base for attracting visitors. We will continue to strengthen Chungnam's tourism competitiveness through diverse promotions and the development of new content.\"
