South Korea is introducing new rules to protect its Bukchon Hanok
Village from overtourism. Bukchon is famous for its traditional Korean
houses, called "hanok," and attracts hundreds of visitors every day,
leading to noise, littering, and privacy issues.
Starting in October, Bukchon will become a "special management area"
to control the number of tourists. Travellers will be banned in the area from 5pm to 10am, and charter buses will be restricted in some areas to
reduce traffic. The village will be divided into three zones (red,
orange, and yellow) to manage crowds. Fines will be given to those who
break the rules.
In 2018, signs in four languages were put up to ask tourists to keep
noise levels down. However, some locals are not sure if the new rules
will work. A local cafe owner, said that most tourists leave after
sunset anyway.
Bukchon Hanok Village is near other popular sites like the Jongmyo
Shrine and Gyeongbokgung Palace. The village has about 6,000 residents.
In 2023, around 6.6 million tourists visited Bukchon.
The challenges faced by Bukchon are part of a broader global issue of overtourism. Cities like Barcelona, Venice, and Kyoto have also implemented measures to balance tourism with local quality of life.