South Korea, September 2026 — Chuncheon City and KORAIL Tourism Development have launched the 2026 Chuncheon K-Chicken Belt, a tourism programme built around the city’s signature dakgalbi dish. The initiative integrates rail travel with dining, local experiences and sightseeing as part of a wider government-backed gastronomic tourism programme.
The programme offers both day-trip and overnight packages. The day programme will use a special ITX-Cheongchun charter train on October 16 during the Chuncheon Makguksu and Dakgalbi Festival, with five themed itineraries covering local dining, buckwheat noodles, traditional alcohol, family activities and tourism attractions. Prices range from 67,000 won to 85,000 won, including rail travel, local transport, meals, activities and guide services.
The overnight option will operate on October 23–24 and October 30–31, combining rail travel with visits to attractions including Soyanggang Skywalk, Uiamho Lake Cable Car, local breweries, rural experience villages and the National Chuncheon Forest Recreation Centre. The packages are being developed as part of the government’s broader K-Food tourism initiative, which aims to connect regional food resources with domestic tourism.
For the rail sector, the programme demonstrates how passenger services can be incorporated into destination-based tourism products rather than functioning solely as point-to-point transport. Chuncheon is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Seoul’s Yongsan Station by ITX-Cheongchun, making the railway a practical component of short-distance regional tourism packages.
The initiative also illustrates a broader opportunity for rail operators to support regional economic development through integrated tourism partnerships. By combining scheduled or charter rail services with local attractions, food and cultural experiences, railway networks can contribute to visitor distribution beyond major metropolitan destinations while creating additional demand for passenger services.
Source: Korea Herald
Chuncheon Launches Rail-Based Gastronomic Tourism Packages
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Rail operators and local authorities are increasingly using tourism-focused services to connect railway travel with regional economies and visitor experiences. In South Korea’s Chuncheon, a new programme combines ITX-Cheongchun train journeys with local food, cultural activities and sightseeing to promote longer and more diverse regional tourism.
