The objective of this study consists in analysing the realities of resort developments in the metropolitan area, finding out mooted points pertaining to it, and then suggesting recommendable countermeasures against them.
Unlike European countries whi...
The objective of this study consists in analysing the realities of resort developments in the metropolitan area, finding out mooted points pertaining to it, and then suggesting recommendable countermeasures against them.
Unlike European countries which may be referred to as the paradise of the resort and Japan which began at its early stage with spa resorts, Korea has concentrated its resort developments on the Kangwon-do region that had beneficial natural resources as well as on the metropolitan area where leisure activities were active, being characteristic of having complicated traits centering around ski resorts. However, resort developments in the metropolitan area has been regulated due to the influence of the Metropolitan Area Plotting Plan and Project Law, and as a result this brought about an adverse impact on the development, leading to being centered to fragmental developments. In consequence, resort developments in the metropolitan area has been carried out with emphasis on the single resort developments limited to certain regions. This led the development to fail to supply diversified patterns of resorts congenial to different purposes and resources, and presented the limits of not having met the needs of the users.
The result of having analysed the actual conditions of resort developments in the metropolitan area explicitly revealed that the resort development overemphasized certain styles of resorts, having raised such mooted points from the tourism, supply and demand sides as raised from the land price rise and the uniformity of introduced facilities.
The resort styles developed in the metropolitan area do not represent such resort styles as can be recognized as those in need of a sojourn in utilization such as ski resorts, golf resorts, spa resorts, tourist farms and other pleasure resorts. Each of the resorts is identified to be characterized by being in the transition process from hardware- to software-centered development.
Resolutions as to the mooted points arising from the existing resort development were suggested, as follows:
First, we need to devise ideal resort models by establishing the concept of the resort and resort styles specific to the Korean circumstances.
Second, it is required to undertake the following developments, apart from the existing resort ones:
1) To establish regional developing regions, screen concentrative and development-limiting areas so that developments may not be overemphasized on certain regions.
2) To reinforce the characteristics of tourist resources and induce developments to diversified and specialized resort developments.
3) To establish the standards for environmental accommodation capacity in resort development.
Third, changes are required to be made in the resort development process, as follows:
1) Reciprocally organic connections should be maintained via close ties among the resort developers, users, and local inhabitants.
2) The organism of information on developments should be reinforced.
3) Differentiation-, specialization-centered resort developments should be implemented.
In the final analysis, it is recommended to make consistent tourist policies, reinforce systematic support, and then enact laws, regulations, and institutional systems for the preservation of environment. Furthermore, resorts in Korea are needed to have openness in utilization so that people of varied classes can approach to them with ease, and for that purpose the government is required to make corresponding tourist policies and converse its consciousness to being based on positioning itself on the developing subject body.