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NFTs in tourism? South Korea's Jeju Island is reportedly working on an NFT-based tourism system for citizens. Marco Verch/flickr

KEY POINTS

  • The island reportedly eyes the issuance of 100,000 NFT-powered digital citizen cards this year
  • Tourists can store their digital footprints and even upload photos on a platform under the system
  • Jeju expects that the NFT program will encourage more South Korean Gen Z travelers to visit the island

South Korea's Jeju Island, known for its dreamy landscapes and is a staple in some of the country's hit K-dramas, is reportedly planning to establish a program featuring non-fungible token (NFT) IDs in a bid to attract younger tourists.

The goal is to leverage the technology in blockchain-based NFTs to store the digital footprints of tourists and provide travel subsidies to loyal individuals who visit the island often.

Jeju Island Taps NFTs to Appeal to Younger Tourists

In a recent announcement, the local government of Jeju Island said it is planning to issue NFT-linked digital tourist cards to domestic tourists sometime around the Chuseok holiday, which takes place in September, South Korean outlet Yonhap reported.

The NFT IDs feature discount vouchers for specific tourist attractions as provided by data from the NFT-linked system.

With a digital tourist citizen card, South Korean travelers can input the place and time of their visit to the various Jeju destinations and even record photos to a platform that will not allow copying by others without the NFT ID owner's permission.

The goal for 2025 is to issue 100,000 citizen cards.

"We plan to build an NFT-linked digital tourism citizen ID system in the first half of the year and start pilot operation from the second half of the year," said Park Yo-joon, director of Jeju Island's Tourism Policy Division, as per a Google translation.

The local government expects that with the NFT travel IDs, more Generation Z travelers will visit the island and also build up tourism momentum while also fostering loyal tourists who will want to keep coming back as they earn more rewards for their trips.

Why is Jeju Island Popular?

South Korea's largest island, Jeju has long been a favorite holiday destination for many domestic travelers and even some international travelers.

With beautiful beaches lining its land and countryside views packed with flowery trees, Jeju Island has been used a lot in some scenes across popular K-dramas such as Son Ye Jin's "Something In the Rain," the global phenomenon "Boys Over Flowers" starring Lee Min Ho, and historical drama "Jewel in the Palace."

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Jeju Island has been featured in some of the most popular K-dramas over the years. IBTimes US

The Possibilities in NFTs and Tourism

Studies have shown that there is much potential in the utilization of NFTs in the tourism industry and it could help improve services and solutions for travelers.

One study said NFTs can be used "to represent access to exclusive locations or events, such as a private tour of a famous landmark or a VIP ticket to a music festival."

In the case of Jeju, which is often used not just a tourist destination but also has venues for various events such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and more, NFTs can possibly be used to represent access to such gatherings.

If the plan to attract younger tourists through NFT IDs works well, Jeju Island may well become a hotbed of tourism and potentially an economic powerhouse.

Originally published on IBTimes