Welcome New Member
We are delighted to welcome our new PATA Member, Pohang City, into the community. We are excited to have them on board and look forward to working closely with them to bring expertise to our community, across our members, the PATA network, and the travel industry on the journey ahead!
Get to know them by checking out their profile below.
Pohang is a coastal tourism city located in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea, where industry, culture, and tourism coexist in harmony. With distinctive attractions such as Homigot Sunrise Square, Yeongildae Beach, and Space Walk at Hwanho Park, Pohang offers diverse tourism experiences combining marine leisure, local cuisine, arts, and Korean Wave content.
In particular, Pohang co-hosted the 2026 PATA Annual Summit with Gyeongju in celebration of PATA’s 75th anniversary. Building on the international tourism network established through the summit, Pohang seeks to expand cooperation with PATA members and the tourism industry and contribute to the development of sustainable tourism.
Why did you join PATA?
Pohang City joined PATA to build an international network with tourism destinations and industry stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region and to expand exchanges and cooperation in tourism. Through PATA, we hope to share tourism trends and experiences from different countries and destinations, while expanding opportunities for collaboration in international tourism and MICE. At the same time, we aim to share Pohang’s own experiences and practices with the PATA network and contribute to the sustainable development of tourism across the Asia-Pacific region.
How do you see your organization aligning with PATA's new vision of creating a meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy, and how can this vision be reflected in your day-to-day business operations?
Pohang City views tourism not simply as a means of attracting visitors, but as an important industry that can create tangible value for the local economy and community. In this regard, our approach is closely aligned with PATA’s new vision of creating a meaningful Pacific Asia tourism economy.
In our day-to-day operations, Pohang City connects various areas of tourism, including marine tourism, culture and content, industrial tourism, and MICE, while developing policies to encourage longer stays and greater local spending so that the economic benefits of tourism can reach the local community. We also strengthen exchanges and cooperation with tourism organizations and industry partners both in Korea and overseas, while incorporating considerations of sustainable tourism development into our tourism policies and practices.
Going forward, we hope to continue sharing experiences and practices with PATA members and tourism stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region and working together to create a tourism economy in which destinations, local communities, and visitors can generate shared value. Through this cooperation, we aim to contribute not only to the development of tourism in Pohang, but also to the broader development of a meaningful and sustainable tourism economy across the region.
What recent initiatives, trends, or transformations in your organization or destination would you like to share with the PATA network?
Recently, Pohang has been broadening the focus of its tourism policies from simply increasing visitor numbers to encouraging longer stays and greater local spending, with a stronger emphasis on connecting tourism with the local economy. Based on its marine tourism resources, the city is working to connect culture and content, industrial tourism, and MICE with tourism, creating links between the city’s diverse resources and tourism activities.
In the international tourism sector, Pohang continues to strengthen cooperation with established key markets such as China and Japan, while also expanding exchanges with emerging markets, including Southeast Asia. The city is also developing closer partnerships with local tourism industry stakeholders, media, and content creators. These partnerships are intended to go beyond promotional activities and develop into practical cooperation that can lead to tourism product development and actual visitor arrivals.
In particular, hosting the 2026 PATA Annual Summit jointly with Gyeongju provided an opportunity to expand Pohang’s network with tourism organizations and industry stakeholders across the Asia-Pacific region. Pohang aims to build on these connections beyond the event itself and develop them into continued exchanges and cooperation in international tourism and MICE.
These changes reflect a broader shift in how Pohang approaches tourism—as a platform that connects the city’s industries, culture, communities, and local economy, rather than as a standalone sector.