▲ Tourists enjoy surfing and the summer weather at Jukdo Beach in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province, on the 4th.
"Please bring us one more parasol."
Dozens of parasols were set up on the sandy shores of Naksan Beach in Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province, yesterday (the 6th).
Despite it being a weekday afternoon, the steady stream of vacationers seeking refuge from the heat continued.
Tourists in wet clothes strolled along the beach after playing in the water, and lines formed at the lobby of a lodging facility near the beach for check-ins.
People pulling carriers toward their accommodations were visible everywhere.
Tourist footsteps are returning to the beaches of Yangyang, which once faced concerns over damaged local images due to various controversies every summer.
In particular, the Naksan area has been drawing family-oriented tourists recently, driven by the expansion of lodging facilities and stay-type tourism content.
As large accommodations opened one after another, spaces to stay increased, and programs extending stay times, such as the nighttime opening of the beach, are also contributing to attracting tourists.
Not only Naksan, but Namae 3-ri Beach has seen a steady stream of family visitors, and Hajodae continues to see visits centered around younger demographics, together leading Yangyang's summer tourism.
The increasing trend in visitors is also confirmed by statistics.
According to the province, the cumulative number of vacationers at 21 beaches in the Yangyang region this summer up to the previous day reached 706,955, an increase of 281,186 (66.0%) compared to 425,769 during the same period last year.
Even while visitor numbers at beaches across the entire east coast decreased compared to last year, Yangyang maintained an upward trend.
Among the six cities and counties on the east coast, the growth rate was also the highest.
However, voices point out that it is still early to view Yangyang's tourism image as completely recovered.
Over the past few years, unverified stories spread online every vacation season, heightening concerns over the local image, and worries about a decline in tourists emerged among residents.
Many of the rumors involved sexual content that could directly and adversely affect the local atmosphere.
In response, residents and merchants at Ingu Beach, which stood at the center of the controversy, took direct action.
Last summer, banners bearing phrases such as "Yangyang is being slandered by distorted stories" and "Fake news is hurting Yangyang" were hung up across Ingu Beach, and similar big-character posters were posted early this year.
The situation even led the local government to request a police investigation into the related matters.
However, those banners and posters from that time are no longer to be found at Ingu Beach this summer.
Residents are voluntarily stepping up to transform the atmosphere to recover the beach image and welcome tourists.
Jang Rae-hong, head of the county surfing association, said, "We can clearly feel on-site that visitors have increased compared to last year," adding, "Recently, not only young people enjoying surfing but also family-oriented tourists are gradually increasing."
He added, "Merchants and residents are preparing together so that visiting guests can stay without inconvenience," and "By making efforts together, we are preparing to become a tourist destination people want to visit again."
Yangyang, which has been engulfed in various controversies centered online over the past few years, is welcoming vacationers once again centered around Naksan this summer.
The county is focusing on spreading this tourism recovery trend to the entire region.
A county official said, "While there used to be many tourists who just stopped by the beach briefly in the past, recently the number of visitors staying overnight and exploring nearby tourist attractions together is increasing," adding, "The longer stay times are having a positive impact on the local commercial district as well."
The official added, "Residents at Ingu Beach are also continuing efforts for environmental improvement and image recovery," and "Our future task is to ensure that the tourism momentum revived centered around Naksan extends to the entire region."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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