Local Love Vacation Support Program (지역사랑 휴가지원 사업, 'half-price travel') — 50% of Travel Spending Refunded in Local Currency

Source material is a Korean government announcement (in Korean).

The Local Love Vacation Support Program ('half-price travel') returns 50% of the travel spending used in a population-declining area in local currency or similar, after an advance application and local government approval; the limit is 100,000 won per person (up to 500,000 won for a family of up to 5 people), and young people aged 19 to 34 receive a 70% refund rate with a limit of 140,000 won.

The 'Local Love Vacation Support Program' is a program introduced this year for the first time by the Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사) and individual local governments to draw tourists to population-declining areas (인구감소지역) and stimulate domestic travel and regional tourism spending. If travelers apply in advance before the trip and receive approval from the local government, 50% of the travel spending used on site can be returned in local currency (지역화폐) or similar, so it is also called 'half-price travel'. When all conditions are met, up to 100,000 won per person is refunded in local currency, and a family application can cover up to 5 people, for up to 500,000 won. The usual refund rate is 50%, but 70% applies to young people aged 19 to 34, whose maximum refund limit is 140,000 won. As of 2026, 16 local governments are running the pilot program, including Gangwon (Pyeongchang-gun, Yeongwol-gun, Hoengseong-gun), Chungbuk (Jecheon-si), Jeonbuk (Gochang-gun), Jeonnam and Gwangju (Gangjin-gun, Yeonggwang-gun, Haenam-gun, Goheung-gun, Wando-gun, Yeongam-gun), and Gyeongnam (Miryang-si, Hadong-gun, Hapcheon-gun, Geochang-gun, Namhae-gun), and a total of 180,000 people applied from April to early July this year. People whose resident registration is in the destination or an adjacent area are excluded, and detailed conditions such as whether an overnight stay is required and which business types are excluded from refunds differ by local government, so the public notice should be checked before applying. A refund claim must be filed within 15 days from the day after the trip ends. In the second half of the year, 4 more areas will be opened for applications, and the target areas are to be expanded gradually from next year after a comprehensive review of this year's pilot results. Details such as the target areas and application schedule are available on the 'Korea Everywhere' website (대한민국 구석구석, visitkorea.or.kr).

Summaries below are factual notes based on government announcements and primary sources — not evaluations or opinions.