JEJU-DO < invest Korea

Jeju is, without a doubt, a paradise of leisure sports and activities. From Hallasan, a mountain formed by volcanic eruptions, and the hills boasting their elegantly curved contours to the vast flatlands and the ocean, Jeju is abundant in leisure and activity spots. The varied terrains have transformed Jeju, with all its potential hot spots, into a mecca of the leisure industry. The island’s mild climate, strong winds, and bountiful sunlight are also indispensable for the growth of the industry.

Observing jeju’s beautiful nature and attractions has always been a popular activity. However, some tourists still prefer a holistic experience of nature. In June 2020, the Jeju Tourism Organization announced the results of the Survey on Travel Plans to Jeju for the next year. When asked what they want to do during the trip, 77.7% of the respondents selected observing the island’s natural landscape. In contrast, 52.6% chose trekking, and 12.7% answered that they plan to enjoy leisure sports, such as golf and horseback riding.

According to the Korea Golf Course Business Association, 41 out of 494 Korean golf courses in operation as of January 2020 are located in Jeju. Jeju ranks fourth in the last, only surpassed by Gyeonggi-do, Gangwon-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do. Jeju’s golf industry had a period of recession caused by fierce competition among golf courses spanning across the country and the abolishment of the tax exemption policy for membership golf courses. However, because of the increased demand after the COVID-19 outbreak and the reintroduction of the tax exemption policy, the industry’s chance for recovery is looking bright.

Golf is gradually gaining a reputation as a sport safe from infection, as it is played in small groups surrounded by vast nature. In addition, deprived of practically all overseas travel options because of COVID-19, golf tourists are resorting to Jeju golf courses instead.

The number of tourists visiting Jeju drastically decreased in the first half of 2020. However, thanks to the increased visits from Jeju residents, Jeju golf courses were visited by 358,550 people between January and March, recording a mere 3.9% decrease from 373,067 in the same period last year. The number of golfers gradually increased thereafter, nearing the pre–COVID-19 level as of August 2020. During the summer vacation season, many golf courses in Jeju were fully booked.

One of the appeals of golf is the experience of walking carefree on low-rising hills and wide grasslands and then testing one’s focus when it is time to hit the next shot. In Jeju, the island’s local characteristics add a few more items to the list. The island’s climate is perfect for a round of golf at any time of the year. The air is clean, and the majestic Hallasan Mountain can be seen from anywhere in the island. Oreums (low-rising volcanoes) make for great sceneries, with unpredictable winds and deer jumping across the green. Noteworthily, Jeju has golf courses that brush shoulders with world-renowned courses in other countries.

The Jeju government and the Jeju Tourism Organization announced a list called the “Top 15 Wellness Tourist Activities in Jeju.” Wellness is a combination of three words: well-being, happiness, and fitness. It refers to being physically, mentally, and socially healthy. Grouped under four themes (Nature and Forest Therapy, Healing and Meditation, Beauty and Spa, and Encounter and Enjoyment), the 15 activities include horseback riding, one of Jeju’s iconic leisure activities.

The cypress forest horseback riding in Otgwi is one of the activities featured in the list mentioned above. Otgwima Theme Town offers a wide range of horseback riding programs, from the training course offering step-by-step horseback riding training, the outdoor horseback riding course that takes participants on a 10.5 km ride through a cedar forest, and the outdoor beach horseback riding course on the Pyoseon Beach open from October to April, to the 1-day mountain trekking course that starts in the morning and reaches as far as the Seongpanak Mountain. The appeal of horseback riding comes in part from interacting with a horse. However, another drawing point of horseback riding is the feeling of becoming one with nature as one passes through forests and beaches at fast and slow speeds.

Built on a 213,277 m² area (around 64,500 pyeong) in Haengwon-ri, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, the Korea Polo Country Club opened in 2010 with world-class facilities, equipment, systems, and services. Even polo players who have experienced prestigious polo clubs around the world expressed their amazement upon first visiting the club.

Many people think of Jeju’s Olles when they hear the word “walking.” According to the 2019 Walking Trip Survey Report announced by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of tourists who enjoy walking significantly increased among younger generations in recent years, driven by the newest trend of traveling alone. As expected, Jeju Olle topped the list of tourist attractions most frequently visited by these walking tourists (15.9%).

The Jeju Olle Foundation, which develops and maintains the Olle trails, is dedicated to building trails to satisfy walkers, residents, and nature itself. Other than developing and maintaining the trails, the foundation also carries out various activities to promote travel, education, environment, culture and art, and local communities. It also organizes the annual Olle Walking Festival so that more people can experience the trails and become “Ollekkuns” (Olle walkers).

For example, in Jeju, Fjallraven Korea held a trekking competition called Fjallraven Classic Korea 2019. According to a Fjallraven official, the 3-day event was joined by around 400 contestants. The Hallasan and Dullegil trail courses seemed difficult, but all contestants from Korea and overseas were highly satisfied by the experience of learning how to love nature while admiring the island’s astounding landscape.

Jeju is surrounded by the ocean, with a plethora of sunbathing beaches and unique underwater sceneries. The diverse ocean leisure infrastructure makes Jeju one of the most prominent ocean leisure locations in Korea. The Jeju government capitalized on the reputation by selecting and announcing the “Top 10 Underwater Wonders in Jeju” in 2018. Underwater caves and arches, columnar joints, craters, and soft coral clusters were promoted as new underwater tourist spots.

One of the most well-known hopping tour programs in Jeju is the Bollenangae Hopping Tour run by Discover Jeju, a company specializing in developing and operating activity programs. After its 2018 launch, the Bollenangae Hopping Tour became immensely popular among tourists. Bollenangae is a word in the Jeju dialect meaning “the Bomok Port in Seogwipo-si.“ The tour program takes tourists on the fishing boat of a local resident to the Seopseom Island, Korea’s Natural Monument No. 18. On the island, participants can admire the coral reef and schools of fish under the sea. The beauty and wonders hidden under the surface mesmerize the participants as they swim around the island wearing snorkels.

The Bollenangae Hopping Tour was named the Best Tour Package at the 4th Ocean Tour Package Contest organized by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. Discover Jeju built on the success of its first hopping tour program to launch the Hyeongjeseom Hopping Tour that starts at the Sagye Port. The program offers a safer experience with the assistance of local women divers (called haenyeo). As can be seen in such cases, Discover Jeju’s activity programs engage the services of local residents and infrastructure to improve the local economy.

Golf, horseback riding, polo, Olle trail walking, trekking, and hopping tours are only some of the leisure sports and activities featuring the ample environmental resources of Jeju. Experts say that while it is important to diversify such leisure sport offerings, Jeju needs to develop other activities catering to the needs of time and consumers, including non–face-to-face services highly in demand in the post–COVID-19 era. Here is to hoping that more leisure sports and activities will be developed and discovered so that the Jeju tourism industry can turn this crisis into an opportunity.