Incheon to build a “tourist belt” and designate hot spots to enjoy the city’s nightscape in Songdo, Wolmido, and the Open Port district
Incheon has announced its plans to build a “tourist belt” with content specifically designed to take advantage of the nightscape around key tourist attractions in Songdo International City, Wolmido, and the Open Port district. The new tourist belt will feature ten destinations that are the perfect place to enjoy Incheon’s shimmering lights in the evening.
The metropolitan city government will invest a total of KRW 5.6 billion in national and municipal funds to finish the nighttime tourist belt project by 2025.
▲ Map of Incheon’s nighttime tourist belt project
In September, the city was selected as Korea's first “City of Light” at the inaugural “Nighttime Tourism Specialized City Contest” hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization this year.
Inspired by its slogan, “All Nights Incheon,” the project will create a wide variety of content visitors can enjoy in the evening, and promote scenic spots across Incheon, which was the first port city in Korea to open its doors to foreigners in the 19th century. More than 100 years later, Incheon hopes to serve as a gateway into Korea in the post-COVID-19 era going forward.
▲ Slogan for Incheon’s nighttime tourist belt project
The tourist belt project has a two-pronged approach. The first will feature Songdo International City (Art Center Incheon, G Tower, Tri Bowl, Central Park, Songdo Convensia, Triple Street), whereas the second will include the Wolmido and Open Port district(Wolmido, Incheon Inner Port/Sangsang Platform, Chinatown, Open Port, Freedom Park). Other hot spots during evening hours across the city, such as Subong Park and Sorae Port, will also serve as important parts of the tourist belt project.
More specifically, the project will be divided into four categories: nighttime tourism content, nightscape hotspots, nighttime tourism infrastructure, and collaboration with similar projects.
Nighttime tourism content is expected to include permanent content such as specialized programs (nighttime performances, night markets, immersive nighttime programs, etc.) and romantic sunset tour programs (sunset and nightscape bus, leisure cruise), and non-permanent content such as a signature light festival and media art fair.
▲ Overview of Incheon Open Port Culture Night
▲ Nightscape of Songdo Central Park
As for the nightscape hotspots, Incheon will select the top 10 destinations, including nighttime landmarks and attractions, that offer great access to Incheon’s beautiful nightscape. Also, in order to improve the infrastructure for nighttime tours, Incheon will focus on stimulating the local economy, offering customized travel information, improving transportation and mobility options, and marketing nighttime tourism within the city. Not only that, the metropolitan government plans to collaborate with other relevant programs such as the smart tourism city program, culture night program, and music festivals.
The tourist belt project will get under way in earnest from November and run through 2025. Once the project ends, the metropolitan city government plans to continue promoting Incheon’s tourist belt with its own programs independently without outside support until 2030. Meanwhile, in December, Incheon will host a ceremony to declare Incheon as a “Nighttime Tourism Specialized City” at Songdo International City and celebrate Incheon’s victory in the Nighttime Tourism Specialized City Contest.
