FUSO program takes tourists off the beaten path

Living like a local has become a trend among travelers in Korea. Instead of going to popular restaurants and fancy tourist spots, tourists now prefer to reside in places where the locals live and experience what the locals do.

Travelers can stay at a guest house in Gangjin County in South Jeolla for a week when they come through the FUSO program. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Living like a local has become a trend among travelers in Korea.

Instead of going to popular restaurants and fancy tourist spots, tourists now prefer to reside in places where the locals live and experience what the locals do.

Eating meals at guest houses prepared by the host and relaxing in traditional residences, such as hanok (traditional Korean house), are some examples.

The Covid-19 pandemic has helped this trend along.

To cater to rising demand and offer tourists more authentic experiences, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism kicked off various projects in 2020, such as creating tourist packages to live in Gangjin County in South Jeolla for a week. The program was fully booked for the entire year.

The FUSO tour program began in 2015 and was only offered to students and civil servants. It was then expanded to everyone due to its high popularity.

FUSO, which is short for feeling up, stress off, kicked off as a program combining farm experiences and stays.

A total of 26 farmhouses participated in the program after the ministry decided to support the program in 2020.

From 2020 to 2021, a total of 2,041 people travelled through the program, with the tourists spending 331 million won ($237,463) and farmhouse income rising to 646 million won, including the government's support, according to the ministry.

Authentic and healthy Korean meals prepared at the regional guest houses were considered one of the biggest contributors to the high popularity. Tourists were provided with meals from the guest house and could tour around the place by themselves.

Ninety-five percent of those who joined FUSO in 2020 said they are satisfied with the experience, and 97 percent in 2021.

"Our aim is to create a brand like FUSO for different cities to promote authentic tourism experiences," said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Culture.

"Even though there aren't many tourists joining the program, visitors are likely to revisit and spend more by purchasing agricultural products."

In 2020, the ministry announced it will subsidize seven cities in total to promote the so-called "living like a local" tourism. Among the seven, Gangjin in South Jeolla, Hadong in South Gyeongsang and the Dong District in Busan, were some of the popular places.

This year, a total of 10 cities were chosen to be supported by the government until 2024, meaning travelers could go traveling in these areas on a relatively low budget.

A resident in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang, explains about an old house in the village to visitors. [KOREA TOURISM ORGANIZATION]

The format of these traveling programs differs by region.

For Sokcho in Gangwon, travelers will stay at the Sangdomun Stone Fence Village for two nights and three days. Visitors will listen to the history of the region and participate in different activities, such as learning grass crafts from an artist and hiking Mount Seorak

In the region of Hamyang, South Gyeongsang, travelers will stay at an old house for three nights and four days and attend different sessions, including making traditional liquor and digging for ginseng.

For those who go to Tongyeong in South Gyeongsang, they can choose between Wu Island and Yokji Island and enjoy fishing, harvesting sweet potatoes and going hiking.

"People are showing positive reactions to the program as they not only can enjoy fishing and hiking but also hear stories about the region from the residents," said a spokesperson for a travel agency that runs the travel program in Tongyeong.

BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]