Lawmakers in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City have heavily criticized the local government's tourism management, pointing to low loan performance in tourism funds, uncollected subsidies, delayed regional development, and fragmented administrative oversight.

During a legislative audit of the Tourism Bureau held on the 10th by the Culture, Tourism, and Sports Committee, city council members raised extensive concerns regarding the practical effectiveness of current tourism policies.

One major issue highlighted was the sluggish implementation of the tourism promotion fund. Lawmakers noted that out of 12.3 billion won designated for loans this year, only 2.1 billion won—or 17.1 percent—had actually been disbursed to businesses by October. Furthermore, cumulative data showed that only about 42 percent of total allocated loan funds since 2013 have successfully reached applicants. Officials explained that weak credit and lack of collateral among small-scale operators contributed to the low numbers, and pledged to strengthen cooperation with credit guarantee agencies.

Financial tracking and grant management also drew sharp criticism. Council members pointed out that hundreds of millions of won in state and local subsidies—including unreturned funds from happiness travel initiatives, regional accommodation discounts, and emergency marketing support for travel agencies affected by the closure of Muan International Airport—remain uncollected. The Tourism Bureau acknowledged the oversight and promised prompt recovery measures.

Urban and regional tourism development projects are likewise lagging behind schedule. Lawmakers revealed that out of 29 initiatives under a massive regional tourism development initiative worth over 600 billion won, only seven have broken ground, with a budget execution rate hovering under 30 percent. Additional concerns were raised regarding heavy budget concentration on specific high-profile events, such as a single cruise welcome ceremony, while leaving later arrivals underfunded. Other issues discussed included infrastructure gaps in outer regions like Wando, post-expo facility planning in Yeosu, delays in digital tourism platform upgrades, and the disruption of airport-linked travel corridors.

Finally, committee leadership pointed out an organizational structural flaw: tourism-related bureaus and public agencies are currently supervised by separate standing committees, hampering cohesive oversight. Lawmakers strongly urged administrative restructuring by December to consolidate tourism governance under a unified committee for better policy coordination.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]