Chungcheongnam-do is launching a large-scale promotional event to attract metropolitan area tourists. The province announced on the 17th that it will hold the ‘Wow! CN Festa’ at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul.
This event is planned to coincide with ‘Chungcheongnam-do Visit Year 2025~2026’ to provide Seoul citizens and foreign tourists the opportunity to directly experience the province’s tourism resources and to redirect tourism demand from the metropolitan area to Chungcheongnam-do. The province is implementing a nationwide promotional strategy with the goal of attracting 50 million tourists by 2026.
On the day of the event, 15 cities and counties in the province will participate in Gwanghwamun Square to operate a tourism promotion booth introducing regional representative tourist sites, local festivals, specialties, and tourism characters, along with themed experience centers. Customized experience programs like CN Marvel and Chungnam Premium Tour allow visitors to anticipate the joy of traveling in Chungnam.
In the center of the square, a promotional area for large international events, which will become new growth engines for Chungnam tourism, will be established. The 2026 Taean International Horticultural Therapy Expo, the 2027 Nonsan World Strawberry Industry Expo, the 2027 Chungcheong Megapolitan Summer World University Games, and the 2027 Island Biennale will be prominently promoted.
Traditional cultural content is also richly prepared. Under the theme ‘Travelling Merchants from Chungnam to Hanyang’, a traditional merchant parade and performance will present a blend of tradition and modernity. The Chungnam Craft Cooperative will exhibit and sell regional representative crafts, and the Chungnam Rural Experience Village Association plans to introduce the rural atmosphere and experience content.
The opening ceremony will feature performances by singer Park Min-soo and Jung Ye-won, ambassadors for the Chungnam Visit Year, and talent shows by the Cheongyang tourism mascot ‘Cheongyangi’ and students from Korea K-pop High School. The opening ceremony and Stage W for Chungnam concert will be live broadcast on YouTube’s ‘Chungnam TV’.
An official from the province stated, “This festival has significant meaning as a place to establish a network for the development of the local tourism industry, with key figures from the domestic travel industry also expected to attend.” They added, “We will actively promote the charm of our province to Seoul citizens and foreign tourists, thereby revitalizing Chungnam tourism and attracting more visitors.”
