Jeju Tourism Organization (JTO) opened Jeju's third geotrail on Oct. 25th at Gimnyeong-ri and Woljeong-ri. The villages were selected due to their unique agricultural, fishing, and folk cultures inspired by the geological environment.
The Geotrails are part of the "UNESCO World Geopark core village revitalization project” and supported by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Livestock. They showcase the island’s geology at the island's 12 Geopark sites and intertwine geology and local culture through “Geo-talks” about the histories and stories of neighboring villages. Other tourist products combine local foods with geology-based activities.
A JTO official said Jeju’s geotourism products are closed related to the local communities and allow synergy with other tourist activities which benefits villagers. For this reason JTO develop further local geo-brand products near geo-trail courses.
The Gimnyeong and Woljeong Geotrails will include a 14.6 k.m. course that stretches along Cheonggulmul Cave, the Hwanhaejangseong Fortress, and Seongsegi Beach. Many of the surrounding fields also boast "batdam," or Jeju's stonewalls.
The trail will boast not only the beauty of the surrounding landscape, but also the Jeju Batdam, the stone walls listed as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage system by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). |