For healing tourism in the Chungcheong region to firmly establish itself as a robust industry, experts emphasize that individual resources like forests, hot springs, traditional medicine (Hanbang), and marine assets must be bundled into stay-type (extended-stay) packages that naturally connect to accommodation, food services, transportation, and local commercial consumption.

With the recent implementation of the Healing Tourism Industry Act providing an institutional foundation, industry leaders point out that the business structure must shift away from a simple focus on increasing visitor numbers. Instead, the core focus should center on how long visitors stay and how much they spend within the local community.

Prof. Ji Myung-won from the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management at Joongbu University noted, "Rather than creating entirely new resources, Chungcheong's top priority should be connecting each region’s existing tourism assets into a unified healing tourism product and service ecosystem. We need a regional control tower to develop stay-type products, alongside a joint reservation and sales system and strict quality management."

Designing Comprehensive Itineraries and Local Economies

Experts also argue that product design methodologies must evolve.

Rather than merely listing standalone healing experiences, itineraries should be built around clear target audiences and specific objectives—such as stress recovery or health management for middle-aged demographics—seamlessly integrating lodging, meals, transportation, and experiences into a single coherent schedule.

Prof. Ji emphasized, "Connecting accommodation, healing foods, transit, night programs, and next-day activities into one fluid journey is vital. By naturally incorporating traditional markets, local food stores, and specialty shops into the travel route, consumption can spread across the entire local economy rather than being confined to specific facilities."

Overcoming Challenges to Attract Foreign Tourists

Enhancements are also urgently needed for products targeting international visitors. Despite possessing outstanding wellness tourism destinations, the Chungcheong region failed to make this year’s list of the "Top 20 Wellness Tourism Destinations Specialized in Attracting Foreign Tourists."

Experts suggest that the entire user journey—including multilingual guides, reservation convenience, and transportation/stay routes—must be redesigned from a foreigner’s perspective.

Prof. Emeritus Jung Byung-woong from the Department of Tourism Management at Soonchunhyang University stated, "What matters most to international visitors is not just the label of 'healing,' but genuine trust in the kind of rest and recovery experience they will actually receive. Only by providing multilingual support, convenient booking, and safe transit routes can Chungcheong’s healing tourism be chosen by global travelers."

Shifting Performance Evaluation Metrics

Finally, opinions converge on the need to overhaul how business performance is evaluated. Analysts argue that success should be measured through metrics directly tied to the local economy—such as average length of stay, overnight conversion rates, per capita spending, and repeat visit rates—rather than mere headcount statistics.

Prof. Jang Jae-hyeop from the Department of Tourism Management at Kongju National University pointed out, "For healing tourism to bring tangible benefits to the local economy, we must design reasons for visitors to stay and spend within the region, rather than simply increasing the number of experiences offered. Performance management should focus on average stay duration, accommodation conversion rates, per capita spending, and return visitor rates, rather than just asking 'how many people visited.'"

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]