The MAFRA Extends Rural Tourism Week to All of October and November

Sejong, 6 October 2026 — Rural Tourism Week is a programme organised by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs to direct travel demand toward rural areas and help revitalise local economies. The programme normally runs during the second week of every month, but the MAFRA has announced that it will run throughout October and November this year in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s “2026 Travel in Fall” campaign. 

Throughout October, Rural Tour Passes will be available at discounts of up to 50% in 88 cities and counties designated as depopulation or population-concern areas. Benefits include savings on rural tourism attractions* and public transportation, including express and intercity buses and trains.** New packages linked to 11 pilot rural tourism belt destinations within these areas will also be launched during the month.

* Rural experience and recreation villages, traditional Korean alcohol producers, healing farms, rural education farms, and other attractions.

** Purchasers of a Rural Tour Pass can receive discounts of up to 40% on express and intercity bus fares to participating destinations, with savings capped at KRW 10,000. Those who purchase a pass through the KORAIL Talk app can also receive 50% off train fares to 20 government-designated depopulation areas.

In addition, the Small-Group Rural Experience Programme will expand from four packages for three destinations during September’s Rural Tourism Week to 15 packages for 14 destinations, offering visitors hands-on rural experiences at discounts of 40–50%.

Discounts will also continue to be offered on 180 rural experience and accommodation packages available through online payment platforms, with savings of up to 30% on experiences and 20% on accommodations. Other offers include 56 rural travel packages for 17 areas under the Rural Creatour programme and 71 packages for eight areas under regional rural tourism programmes, both discounted by up to 50%. The rural “workation” programme, expanded to 13 locations with three new sites selected in September, provides participants with KRW 50,000 per weekday toward their costs for up to five days, as well as travel insurance.

Public participation events will also continue. One such programme lets visitors earn rewards by collecting stamps at up to 20 outstanding rural experience and recreation villages nationwide. This promotion runs from March through November 15, with a special autumn campaign in September and October.

To boost rural tourism during the fall travel season, the MAFRA has linked webpages introducing the Rural Tourism Week programme and leading rural experience villages to the KakaoTalk messaging app and Daum web portal. The MAFRA will promote the webpages through mid-November. The Welchon rural tourism portal will also continue to provide a range of information, including “Six Rural Destinations for Experiencing Autumn Up Close” and featured rural villages of the month.

Director General Jeon Han-young of the MAFRA’s Rural Policy Bureau said: “The Rural Tourism Week programme has been expanded to encompass the entire October–November travel season, giving more people an opportunity to take advantage of discounts on a wide range of rural tourism products. Autumn is the perfect season to visit the countryside. Travelers are invited to make unforgettable memories in rural communities this fall, discover their value and appeal, and be inspired to return. The MAFRA will continue to actively support rural tourism so that it becomes a regular part of people’s leisure activities while contributing to the revitalisation of local economies.”

More information on Rural Tourism Week and how to participate is available on the Welchon rural tourism portal.