South Korea is reportedly going to slap £54 fines on unwanted visitors to a pretty historic village in a bid to deal with the impact of overtourism.
Bukchon Hanok Village is a historic neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea, renowned for its beautiful and traditional hanok houses, which reflect Korean architecture from the Joseon Dynasty.
Residents have complained of noise disturbances, invasion of privacy, and littering from tourists.
The government is now working on a trial curfew in November, which is set to be fully implemented in March 2025, reports farout magazine.
Certain areas of Bukchon will have no visitor access from 5pm to 10am the following day. Those violating the curfew will be asked to pay £54 ($70).
However, the rule has received a mixed response. Kwon Young-doo, owner of the Asian Cultural Art Museum, argued that it gives tourists a “bad impression” of South Korea.
Others said the move will help to manage overtourism.
South Korea has joined a growing number of popular holiday destinations tackling the negative effects of overcrowding in both public and residential areas.
Many regions have had to impose stricter regulations on holiday rental licences due increases in rent and housing shortages, thought to be caused growing levels of tourism.
Others have introduced fines for tourists behaving inappropriately, such as walking shirtless or consuming alcohol in public.
Recently, protests erupted in San Sebastian as part of a nationwide “October Against Tourism” movement. Residents displayed banners with powerful messages expressing their concerns.
