Gangwon’s Foreign Tourist Taxi service hails more than 10,000 users

Gangwon Governor Kim Jin-tae has announced that the number of users of its Foreign Tourist Taxi service, designed for the region’s foreign tourists, surpassed 10,000 last year.

The Foreign Tourist Taxi is a tourism service that improves access to destinations with limited accessibility. It was established through collaboration between Gangwon, Chuncheon, Gangneung, Sokcho and the Tourism Foundation.  

The service offers visits to traditional markets and several optional courses. It aims to enhance tourist mobility by connecting popular attractions — including K-wave experiences, local cuisine, tourist sites and regional festivals — with major transportation hubs such as train stations and intercity bus terminals.

Tourists from more than 64 countries have used the service, including visitors from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and various nations across Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.

According to a satisfaction survey conducted by Gangwon among taxi service users, 97 percent of respondents reported being “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the experience.

Notably, 89 percent of users expressed satisfaction with the taxi drivers' considerate service and safe driving. Customer satisfaction was further enhanced by drivers who voluntarily provided tourist information and served as one-day tour guides.

“The process of communicating, greeting and exchanging gratitude with foreign customers is definitely a worthwhile and enjoyable experience,” said a driver from the Gangwon Private Taxi Association Chuncheon branch. “It is especially fulfilling when customers appreciate my recommendations for hidden tourist sites and restaurants.”

Meanwhile, according to the 2024 International Visitor Survey by the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute, foreign visitors ranked transportation as the most important tourism infrastructure consideration when visiting Korea.

In preparation for the 2025-2026 Visit Gangwon Year, Gangwon plans to promote its unique tourism attractions by providing foreign tourists with more convenient transportation infrastructure, along with a variety of food, sights and activities to enjoy.

“The fact that Foreign Tourist Taxi users have surpassed 10,000 shows that the service has grown to become a representative tourism offering in Gangwon,” said Kim Dong-joon, director of Tourism Policy for Gangwon.

“We will review expansion to other cities and counties through performance analysis, while ensuring product development and promotion so that individual foreign tourists can use the service without any inconvenience.”

BY LEE YEBIN [lee.yebin1@joongang.co.kr]