[iNews24 Reporter Kim Jeong-su] On the 8th, Gyeonggi Tourism Organization held the launch ceremony for the 15th Kkitour press corps, a team of writers specializing in Gyeonggi tourism, at Trade Tower in Gangnam, Seoul.
About 720 people applied for this year's Kkitour press corps. The organization evaluated applicants' article-writing skills and content activity across platforms like Naver Blog, Instagram, and TikTok, and ultimately selected 30 members.
That's 10 more than the 20 chosen last year.
This year, they expanded both the roster and the channels to double down on social media marketing, reflecting trends like Instagram Reels and other short-form video formats.
Going forward, the press corps will visit attractions across the province and create hands-on, review-style travel content. Members will post on the Gyeonggi Tourism platform and their personal social channels, and they will participate in Gyeonggi fam tours.
The program runs seven months, through November. Members will receive a monthly stipend, official appointment certificates, and priority access to fam tours of Gyeonggi tourist sites and major events.
The name \"Kkitour\" combines the doubled initial consonant 'ㄱ' from \"Gyeonggi\" with the Korean word 끼 (kki), meaning \"talent.\" It reflects the idea that members will use their creativity to produce travel content that is easy to enjoy, fun, and useful for travelers to Gyeonggi Province.
A spokesperson for the organization congratulated the new press corps members, saying, \"We sincerely congratulate you on being selected from a highly competitive 24-to-1 applicant pool. As ambassadors for Gyeonggi tourism, we hope you'll uncover the province's lesser-known gems and turn your experiences into distinctive content that helps revitalize Gyeonggi's tourism industry.\"
