K-tourism, a well-made video industry complex, will be a boon.

Content ripple effects…Need for 'Tourism Commercialization' of Video Industrial Complex, Resort, and Theme Park

'Universal' Best Practices…South Korea's "Mr. Sunshine Filming Site" become tourist attraction

Incheon, modern and contemporary coexistence, as well as proximity to broadcasting and production companies, 'big advantages'

Expectations for 'Eurwangsan IFUS HILL' Project of Smart Innovation Global Video Industrial Complex

Global OTT markets grew at an annual average rate of 32.1% between 2014 and 2018. Growth is expected to grow further after 2020 when Covid-19 spread. Global content markets are estimated to be worth $455.6 billion and $500 trillion KRW as of 2018.

The content industry is a huge market, and its ripple effect is hard to gauge. Fostering the content industry is considered the most effective strategy in Korea, where the industry needs to be fostered through global trade.

Yeongjong International City, where Incheon International Airport is located, is close to the concentration of the K-content industry and meets strengthened labor conditions. The Video Industrial Complex is expected to increase the transfer index of Incheon International Airport during the post-corona era as a tourism product.

The poster of the drama The Guardian.

▲ Theme park tourism industry linked to video complex

In conjunction with the video complex, the creation of resorts and theme parks will become a tourist product.

Universal Studios is a case in point. Universal Studios is a theme park business that utilizes video content and character IP, and it is a tourism resource that greatly influences tourism in the region and the country. Universal Studios contributes greatly to enhancing the image of the region and country, and has a great economic ripple effect.

Next to Universal Studios in Los Angeles, there is a large movie theater which screen 18 movies at the same time, Cineplex Audion, restaurant, and shopping center. 70 million tourists visiting every year due to Universal Studios.

In Korea, local governments are also paying attention to attracting film and drama filming to the region. This is because filming local films and dramas boost industries and contribute to economic effects such as direct income growth and job creation.

More than 21,000 tourists visited the outdoor filming set in Yeonmu-eup, Nonsan-si, Chungcheongnam-do, which was the filming site for "Mr. Sunshine" in 2018 alone.

In 2019, nearly 300,000 tourists visited, and in 2020, some places were closed due to the spread of COVID 19, but it has become a tourist attraction. Nonsan City has developed related additional sites such as survival experience sites as well as "Sunshine Land.". In addition, Cheongju "Unbo's House," Gaepyeong Hanok Village (Hamyang-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do), is also drawing attention as a tourist destination.

The scene of the drama 'Guardian'. / Photo courtesy = Incheon Film Commission

Incheon has many filming attractions. 61 works (44%) were filmed in Jung-gu. This is because Jung-gu District has many unique places such as opening port streets and Chinatown, unopened roads and hotels. The dramas , and were filmed in Jung-gu. In Dong-gu, 43 films (31.15 percent) were filmed. In particular, Iljin Electric's Incheon plant, which is in charge of and operated by the Incheon Film Commission, has gained popularity. The music video of the project group Refund Expedition, the drama and were filmed at Iljin Electric's Incheon plant. In addition, 30 episodes have been filmed in Yeonsu-gu, where Songdo International City is located. By type of video, 42 dramas, 41 movies, and 28 music videos were shown.

In response, the Incheon Film Commission selected tvN drama "Guardian" as the target of the "Incheon Customized Video Attraction and Support Project" in 2016 and provided 100 million won in production costs to Hwa & Dam Pictures, the production company. Incheon appeared as a major background in the drama, and filming took place in Gyeongwonjae, Baedari used bookstore alley, Freedom Park, and Cheongna Lake Park.

Incheon is a city where modern and contemporary coexist, close to Sangam, where broadcasters such as CJ ENM, MBC, and production companies are concentrated, Mokdong, Ilsan Tanhyeon, and Yeouido, where KBS is located, so it can save travel time and production costs.

/ Photo courtesy = SG industry development 

▲ Incheon, the filming spot, needs to be reborn as Korea's leading content industrial complex by creating a video industrial complex

Content producers have high expectations for the Eurwangsan IFUS (Incheon Film United Studio) HILL (Hallyu Image Leisure Landmark) project being pursued by the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority.

Mt. Eulwang IFUS HILL project is planning to be established as a global complex for smart innovation. It changed its development concept from 'theme park' development plan to 'complex video industrial facilities'.

It will establish a one-stop video production system for the development of theme parks and smart innovative tourism services using cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR and the production of media contents applied with 4th industrial technology. It is also planning to commercialize 5G-based technology cooperation to become the nation's largest indoor and outdoor film and drama complex filming studio that combines state-of-the-art facilities.

The Incheon Economic Agency has demonstrated location excellence and demand for video production infrastructure through demand tests for Mt. Eulwang. After understanding actual demands and testing Mt. Eulwang development project, it recorded 80% of operation rate in 2 months. A total of more than 160 works have been sponsored by IFEZ in 2020, including music videos of girl group ITZ's "Not shy" and advertisements for SK Hynix.

The impact on the local economy is also significant. The production inducement effect is 4.9 trillion won, the employment inducement effect is 73,000 people, and the value-added inducement effect is estimated at 2.5 trillion won.

/ Photo courtesy = SG industry development

The video culture and tourism convergence industry, which is aimed at "Mt. Eulwang IFUS HILL," is expected to create a global business innovation ecosystem and create large-scale jobs through successful attraction of new video and cultural contents industries.

Synergy between Mt. Ulwang and nearby Cheongna International Business Complex, the fourth industrial revolution complex, is also expected. Incheon Cheongna International Business Complex is a fourth industrial revolution complex where smart technology is introduced, and various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (loT), and information and communication technology (ICT) are combined. Youngjong (Mt. Eulwang)~It is possible to build a global business belt for video and content that leads to Cheongna Styming City and Seoul with the airport's economic hub.

It can also strengthen the competitiveness of the MICE industry. International conference conventions, content market industry fairs, exhibitions, etc. in the field of video and content can be created, and international events and cultural events can be jointly developed in connection with Inspire IR.

Night view of Incheon Airport. /Incheon Ilbo DB

▲ Only 1% of transit passengers travel

The percentage of transit passengers using Incheon International Airport traveling to Incheon is significantly insufficient. The annual number of passengers at Incheon International Airport before COVID19 Pandemic is estimated to be around 8 million, but less than 1% of foreigners use double transit tours.

Transfer travel has a significant impact on the image of the city due to its characteristics. Passengers who transfer to Incheon International Airport will stay in Korea for several hours to three days at the latest. The perception formed in short-term tourism can determine the image of the city. If foreign tourists feel good on the transfer tour, there is a high possibility that they will revisit in the future.

However, about half of the users of the Incheon International Airport transit travel program chose Seoul and Gyeonggi Province courses. In 2017, 35,532 out of 78,854 foreign transit passengers using Incheon International Airport's "Incheon Airport Transfer Tour" chose courses in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province. These statistical results indicate that content is more important than distance traveled on transit tours.

There have been several proposals to develop tourism products so that foreigners using Incheon International Airport can tour major tourist attractions in Incheon. By creating an economic zone for Incheon Airport, such as expanding tourism infrastructure near Incheon International Airport, transit tourism can be revitalized, and Incheon International Airport can make a leap forward to the international tourism hub airport. It is expected to create a tourism belt by building a complex resort through the development of a premier tourism program to attract transit travelers to Incheon International Airport.

Kim Chingu

Source : http://www.incheonilbo.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1089576