--- title: "2024 Government Policies Every Hotel Owner Should Know" description: "As ministries unveil their 2024 policy directions and budgets, domestic tourism remains central to Korea's economic recovery. Here's what hospitality operators need to watch this year." published: 2024-01-16T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Weekly ON" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65b0b15ea87632e0ea342fbd_65a5ed5ff5e0bed618b24881_WeeklyON_vol107_webflow_cover_1200px.png" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=sugbageobi-jumoghaeya-hal-2024nyeon-jeongbu-jeongcaeg-banghyang locale: en --- # 2024 Government Policies Every Hotel Owner Should Know Hello subscribers — as Korean government ministries roll out their 2024 policy priorities and budgets, we're breaking down what matters most for hospitality operators. Here's your guide to the year ahead. ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting. --- #### **In this issue** 🏨 2024 government policy priorities for hospitality 💡 Where online travel is headed post-pandemic ⌨️ #LuxuryHotelStrategies #DrugBustBans #StayLengthFlexibility #EuropeTouristTax #PetTravelRace --- **🏨 Industry Deep Dive** ### **2024 Government Policy Priorities** ### **for Hospitality** Korea's ministries are announcing their 2024 policy directions and budget allocations. Domestic tourism — seen as key to economic recovery — is getting renewed investment this year. Let's unpack the ['2024 Tourism Budget'](https://www.mcst.go.kr/kor/s_notice/press/pressView.jsp?pSeq=20758&pMenuCD=0302000000&pCurrentPage=1&pTypeDept=&pSearchType=01&pSearchWord=) and the ['2024 Economic Policy Direction'](https://www.moef.go.kr/nw/nes/detailNesDtaView.do?searchBbsId1=MOSFBBS_000000000028&searchNttId1=MOSF_000000000067030&menuNo=4010100) to see which policy shifts will shape the hospitality landscape. ### **Tourism budget up 6.6% year-over-year** On January 3, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism [confirmed its 2024 tourism budget at ₩1.3115 trillion](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20240103031200030?input=1195m) — a 6.6% increase over 2023. That's more than double the average government spending increase (2.8%), reflecting a push **beyond recovery to record performance**. Budget line items telegraph priorities. The ministry's four focus areas are clear. Let's see what that means in practice for domestic tourism activation. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65d6ebea8ce9230f1f3debfb_vol107_1.jpg) ### **Marketing push for 20 million inbound visitors** The government aims to hit 20 million inbound tourists in 2024, extending the **'Visit Korea Year 2023–2024'** campaign. Marquee events include Korea Grand Sale (Jan–Feb), Korea Beauty Festival (June), and a major K-Culture Festival (September). Overseas, the ministry plans **'K-Tourism Mega Roadshows'** in 25 global cities to convert Hallyu interest into actual bookings. **K-Tourism content development** continues. [Research shows K-Content popularity directly correlates with inbound visitor numbers](https://www.hankyung.com/article/2023120555865) — markets with high K-Drama/K-Pop engagement send more tourists. The plan: develop tour packages around K-Pop and K-Drama, and elevate regional festivals into **global-scale events**. Support for **sports tourism, wellness tourism, and MICE** is also scaling up. Operators should track local events and festivals to adjust pricing dynamically or launch co-marketing promos. ### **Extended-stay travel to activate regional economies** To fix over-concentration in Seoul and Jeju, the government is offering incentives for regional tourism. ONDA's industry surveys confirm this as a top concern: demand too narrowly focused on established destinations and property types. The pilot **'Digital Tourism Resident Card'** program — offering QR-based discounts on lodging, dining, and activities in depopulating regions — is expanding from [15 to 40 regions](https://biz.heraldcorp.com/view.php?ud=20240111000133). Currently live in Ganghwa, Taean, and Pyeongchang, among others. **Workation support** is scaling up, and the government is designating **'Night Tourism Special Cities'** to boost extended stays. Service quality monitoring in major tourist zones (following recent pricing scandals) will also intensify. Southern Korea properties should note the **'Southern Korea Regional Tourism Development Project'** — a decade-long, ₩3 trillion initiative (through 2033) to build a ['K-Tourism Resort Belt'](https://www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148924073) spanning Busan, Gwangju, Ulsan, South Jeolla, and South Gyeongsang. To drive domestic and inbound tourism, economic incentives matter. What support policies and reforms are coming? ### [👉 Full 2024 Tourism Economic Policy Direction](https://corp.onda.me/insight-content/preview-of-2024-policies-for-hospitality?utm_source=stibee&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-2024_01_16) --- **💡 Hospitality Trends** ### **Where Online Travel Is Headed** ### **Post-Pandemic** Global usage of travel apps — OTAs, transport, airline/hotel direct booking apps — is **surging**. Mobile and online channels now dominate the booking journey. Data.ai reports that travel app downloads worldwide topped 3 billion in 2023, up 13% year-over-year. **Travel OTAs (Booking.com, Expedia, Trip.com) saw the sharpest rise at +34%.** Time spent in travel apps is also climbing: total usage hit 15.7 billion hours in 2023, up 25% from 2022. **Travelers now use apps for the full journey — search, booking, and reviews.** What about Korea? In November 2023, domestic [online travel and transport transaction volume hit ₩2.016 trillion, up 28.3% year-over-year](https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=7857074&ref=A). It's held above ₩2 trillion for five straight months post-endemic. Full story below. ### [👉 Read the Full Story](https://biz.sbs.co.kr/article/20000151402?division) --- **⌨️ Keyword News** 1️⃣ **Five-Star Hotel Strategies** [👉 [Full story]](http://www.hotelrestaurant.co.kr/news/article.html?no=13010) **TL;DR:** Korea's luxury hotels unveil 2024 strategies and visions **The story:** Five-star hotels cite differentiated content and customer experience, ESG commitments, and regional partnerships to attract domestic and international guests. **What content?** Experiential and regionally-rooted programming. Hotels are doubling down on diverse guest needs — more differentiation ahead. 2️⃣ **Drug Bust Penalties** [👉 [Full story]](http://www.sukbakmagazine.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=55316) **TL;DR:** Hotels face closures if guests are caught with drugs — law expected July 2024 **The story:** A new law authorizes business suspension or closure if guests are caught using narcotics in guest rooms. Takes effect this July. **How it works:** Law enforcement decides. If prosecutors file charges under 'providing a venue for drug sales or use,' the hotel gets hit with suspension orders. 3️⃣ **Stay Length Flexibility** [👉 [Full story]](https://www.newsis.com/view/?id=NISX20240111_0002589466) **TL;DR:** Korean hotels diversify stay lengths to match demand **The story:** Hotels are launching ultra-short and ultra-long packages to capture different segments. Stay duration varies by location and guest type. **Examples:** DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo offers 4-week packages. Phoenix Park has 10-hour/30-hour packages. Hanwha Hotels & Resorts lists 6-, 9-, 14-, and 29-night options. 4️⃣ **Europe Tourist Taxes** [👉 [Full story]](https://www.traveltimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=407402) **TL;DR:** European cities introduce or hike tourist taxes to combat overtourism **The story:** Venice, Valencia, Amsterdam, Paris, and others are imposing or raising tourist taxes to manage overtourism pressure. **Korea?** Jeju proposed an 'environmental conservation levy' last year but the plan is on hold. 5️⃣ **Pet Travel Race** [👉 [Full story]](https://view.asiae.co.kr/article/2024010316403100597) **TL;DR:** Hotel industry races to capture 'petfam' travelers **The story:** Hotels are expanding pet-friendly packages and promotions. Post-endemic demand remains strong — more hotels are building dedicated pet rooms. **The market:** KB Research says 5.52 million Korean households (25.7% of all households) own pets — representing 12.62 million people as of 2022. ---