Suncheon City is expanding an immersive, stay-based tourism model that weaves residents’ everyday life into visitors’ experiences, and through Shillange V2.0 it’s turning local charm into a must-see draw.
On the 13th, Suncheon City ran a capacity-building workshop at the Suncheon Bay Eco-Village Youth Hostel for 67 village and experience hosts involved in the 2026 Suncheon Village Stay Shillange V2.0 initiative. The training focused on elevating program quality and included operators offering lodging as well as craft, wellness, and culinary experiences.
Experts led lectures to share practical know-how, and participants joined planning labs to identify village assets and shape them into market-ready tourism products. With the 2026 Suncheon Village Travel Week scheduled for August, hosts zeroed in on designing their spaces and guest experiences.
“It was a meaningful time to move beyond basic lodging and figure out how to weave village stories, food, and hands-on activities into a single travel experience,” one participant said. “We’ll introduce distinctive travel products that fully showcase the appeal of Suncheon Bay.”
Beginning in June, Suncheon City will offer one-on-one, on-site consulting by experts. These sessions will provide close support across operations — from improving space layouts and building online booking systems to turning local experiences into sellable products — all aimed at raising overall quality.
“People and content are ultimately what bring a space to life,” a city official said. “We’ll help residents evolve from simple lodging hosts into community-based creators, and we’ll build Shillange into Suncheon Bay’s signature stay-based tourism brand.”
Suncheon City will officially roll out resident-led, signature village travel offerings during the 2026 Village Travel Week, running from August through October. The initiative is expected to give visitors authentic ways to experience Suncheon’s unique attractions while boosting the local economy.
These efforts should benefit both residents and visitors. Locals can earn income by developing creative tourism products that tap regional resources, while travelers get deeper access to Suncheon’s distinctive culture and natural beauty.
Suncheon — Reporter Jeongwon (weeoney@viva100.com)
