Ecotourism is booming in Korea, with over 200 towns, cities and provinces promoting themselves as nature-lovers’ paradises. Many, however, lack strategies to succeed in the intensifying competition, experts say, offering run-of-the-mill programs that focus on walking trails and local food.

“Almost all provincial governments in Korea have jumped on the ecotourism bandwagon,” the state-run Korea Environment Institute said in a recent report. “Of them, perhaps 20 to 30 percent have the potential for success.”

To raise the bar for Korean ecotourism, the government plans to spend 25 billion won ($23 million) until 2015 to develop 10 model cases, while adopting a state-run certification system. 

“The project is hoped to create an opportunity for the country to better manage natural resources through ecotourism,” said Kim Dong-jin, an official at the environmental ministry.

“By helping to sharpen competitiveness of the tourism sites, we hope to further increase demand for ecotourism and boost local economies.”

In 2010, the government has designated 10 places as the country’s best ecotourism destinations. They include a wetland in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the Suncheon Bay area in South Jeolla Province, the De-Militarized Zone in Gyeonggi Province’s Paju and Gangwon Province’s Hwacheon, a migratory bird sanctuary in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, and a parasitic volcanic cone on Jeju Island.

A legislative proposal to introduce the ecotourism accreditation scheme is currently pending at the National Assembly.

The law would enable the environmental ministry to designate places of high natural value as ecotourism sites and provide local authorities with state funding to develop tourism programs. It would also help holiday planners to identify genuine nature and ecotourism operators and offer guidance in the ever-increasing number of tourist destinations laying claim to environmental credentials.

Early movers in ecotourism, such as Australia and New Zealand, are already running similar accreditation programs, the environmental ministry said.

By Lee Sun-young (milaya@heraldcorp.com)