Tourist zone is taken as a specialized area in which the tourism supply and demandand tourism/leisure activities take place according to its local particularities, and it may be variously understood from the conceptual, institutional, and geographical...
Tourist zone is taken as a specialized area in which the tourism supply and demandand tourism/leisure activities take place according to its local particularities, and it may be variously understood from the conceptual, institutional, and geographical perspectives. Especially, the tourist zone established by the central or local governments is not likely to take on asimply academic, institutional, or wellbeing-bound area so much as a competitive region with strong local differences. Given that, this study is aimed at the identification of some strategies to promote the integrated Young-Nam province as a tourist zone which may manifest competitiveness, domestically and internationally. This study has examined the establishment of tourist zones and the implementation of strategiesthat are contained in the tourism development plan initiated and executed by the individual municipal authorities in the Young-Nam province. Such attempt has resulted in five extended(large area) tourist zones: Namhae Coastal Tourism Belt, Jeeri Mountain Zone- North Kyoungbuk Confucian Cultural Zone, Busan-Kyoungju Integrated Tourist Zone, and Young-Nam Inland Tourist Zone. Suggestions to develop and promote the individual identity and image of each zone as a competitive brand may include the collaborative partnership among the municipalgovernments concerned, the establishment of governing institute with the independent and financial authority over each extended tourist zone, the preparation of laws to support the planning, implementation, and ex post facto management, the construction of the cooperative network between/among the municipal authorities concerned, etc.. Some limitations inherent in this study are also addressed.