The nationwide Lighthouse Stamp Tour—where travelers visit scenic coastal lighthouses to collect stamps and log their journeys—has crossed 200,000 cumulative participants and is helping shape a fresh travel culture. Once strictly maritime safety beacons, lighthouses are now emotional, multi-generational cultural spots and the setting for a national challenge.
The Korea Aids to Navigation Technology Institute (Director Park Gwang-yeol) says the Lighthouse Stamp Tour—which helped popularize maritime culture and even spawned a craze of devoted fans—has topped 200,000 participants for the first time. Especially in January and February this year, more than 10,000 people joined each month, signaling that lighthouse trips have become a genuine national bucket-list experience.
Participants Quadrupled in Jan–Feb, Backed Strongly by People in Their 40s–60s
The numbers tell the story. After averaging about 2,400 participants per month in 2025, the tour jumped to roughly 10,000 a month in 2026—more than a fourfold increase. So far, 203,298 lighthouse passports have been issued, and including family members and partners who join trips, observers estimate the total number of tour-goers is close to 500,000.
Nam Ji-hye, a team leader at the institute, told Wikitree, “Travelers in their 40s to 60s still make up the largest share. We haven’t seen a reversal in age or gender trends, but the overall scale has expanded dramatically.”
Nam added, “January and February saw roughly a fourfold rise from last year. We think the surge reflects the overlap of New Year sunrise season with a broader influx of visitors to lighthouses and stamp-tour participants.”
150 Finishers in Four Months; New 'Sunrise' Route Steals the Spotlight
The tour is divided into six themed routes to fit different tastes. To date, 7,075 people have completed an entire course. The Beautiful Lighthouses route remains the most popular, with 3,783 finishers.
Particularly notable is the new Lighthouses with Great Sunrises route. Launched just four months ago, it already has more than 150 finishers. “Response to the new route has far exceeded expectations,” Nam said. “That over 150 people have completed it so soon shows strong loyalty to lighthouse travel.”
Parenting Forums Spark Interest—From Families to Ambitious Young Adults
The most notable recent change is the widening mix of participants. Interest has shifted from predominantly middle-aged travelers to parents who prioritize education and family activities.
Nam said, “Education and parenting influencers have shown strong interest in the Lighthouse Stamp Tour, and related content has spread quickly across parenting forums. Word of mouth about the tour as an educational outing for kids has helped a lot.”
Young participants—often referred to by the Korean label MZ generation (Millennials + Gen Z)—approach the tour differently. For them, lighthouse trips are a way to showcase a diligent, purposeful lifestyle and to capture striking photos in scenic coastal settings. Even when they’re not collecting stamps, lighthouses have become compelling travel content.
From Stamps to Food Crawls—Lighthouses Fuel Local Tourism
The Lighthouse Stamp Tour has evolved beyond a simple checklist into a catalyst for local economies. Participants frequently visit nearby restaurants and combine lighthouse stops with other regional attractions, creating layered local tourism experiences.
Nam Ji-hye emphasized, “Lighthouses that once safeguarded the sea have been reborn as cultural spots that relieve daily stress and inspire visitors. We’ll keep expanding these emotional cultural spaces so more people can capture memorable photos at lighthouses and discover local charm.”
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