South Korea's 2026 Regional Travel Support Program reimburses eligible travel expenses, including accommodation, meals, and activities, incurred in participating destinations. General travelers can receive 50% of eligible expenses, up to KRW 100,000, while eligible young adults can receive 70%, up to KRW 140,000. However, travelers must apply and obtain approval before their trip and meet local payment and documentation requirements. Paying for accommodation does not automatically qualify you for a refund.
The autumn campaign runs from September through November 30, and the announced deadline for using cashback rewards is April 30, 2027. Actual eligible travel periods and application deadlines vary by local government.
Are Hotel and Accommodation Costs Eligible for Travel Cashback?
Accommodation expenses may qualify under South Korea's Regional Travel Support Program. The Korea Tourism Organization describes lodging, meals, and travel experiences as eligible expenses under its Half-Price Travel initiative.
The important distinction is not simply whether an expense is classified as accommodation, but whether the payment method and supporting documents satisfy the requirements of the destination's local government.
Before booking a hotel, guesthouse, or pension-style holiday accommodation, check the following:
Whether the accommodation is eligible under the destination's program
Whether advance payments made through accommodation booking platforms are accepted
Whether payment must be made in local currency or whether ordinary credit card payments are accepted
Whether proof of tourist attraction visits is required in addition to accommodation receipts
Whether the application and approval process must be completed before traveling
In particular, travelers who intend to pay through an online booking platform and apply for cashback afterward must confirm whether prepaid accommodation expenses are eligible.
How Much Cashback Can General Travelers and Young Adults Receive?
General travelers can receive 50% of eligible travel expenses, up to KRW 100,000. Young adults qualify for a higher reimbursement rate of 70%, which is 20 percentage points more, and a maximum refund of KRW 140,000.
The standard age range for young adults is 19–34 years old. However, the reference date used to determine eligibility may vary by local government. It may be the program announcement date, the program start date, or the application date.
Examples of Cashback Calculations by Eligible Spending
| Eligible spending | General travelers: 50% | Young adults: 70% |
|---|---|---|
| KRW 100,000 | KRW 50,000 | KRW 70,000 |
| KRW 150,000 | KRW 75,000 | KRW 105,000 |
| KRW 200,000 | KRW 100,000 | KRW 140,000 |
| KRW 300,000 | KRW 100,000 | KRW 140,000 |
These calculations apply the relevant reimbursement percentage to eligible spending and then account for the individual reimbursement cap. Actual payments depend on local approval requirements and the amount of spending recognized as eligible.
General travelers reach the maximum KRW 100,000 reimbursement after spending KRW 200,000 on eligible expenses. Young adults also reach their maximum reimbursement of KRW 140,000 with KRW 200,000 in eligible spending.
In other words, the young adult benefit does more than increase the maximum refund by KRW 40,000. It also applies a higher reimbursement percentage to the same amount of eligible spending.
Program information also mentions support of up to KRW 200,000 for applications involving two or more people and up to KRW 500,000 for family group applications based on five people. However, travelers must consult the relevant local government's announcement to determine whether these group benefits apply.
Which Destinations Qualify for the Regional Travel Support Program?
The Regional Travel Support Program does not apply to every tourist destination in South Korea. Travelers must visit participating local governments in rural or fishing communities designated as population-decline areas.
The following destinations were identified as major participants in the 2026 autumn campaign.
| Province | Participating destinations |
|---|---|
| Gangwon Province | Hwacheon County |
| North Gyeongsang Province | Andong City, Yeongcheon City |
| South Jeolla Province | Jangheung County, Yeonggwang County, Wando County |
Being listed as a participating destination does not mean applications are accepted for every travel date.
Local governments may divide applications into multiple recruitment rounds and close registration early when their allocated budgets are exhausted.
Another important restriction concerns residency. Applications are restricted for certain destinations adjacent to a traveler's officially registered residential area in South Korea. Therefore, travelers should not assume they qualify simply because a destination participates in the program.
Can You Apply After Completing Your Trip?
Applications for the Regional Travel Support Program must be submitted before traveling. The program explicitly states that travelers who do not apply in advance cannot receive support.
The basic process consists of four steps.
1. Check your destination and application eligibility.
Confirm residential eligibility restrictions, recruitment rounds, permitted travel dates, and whether applications are still being accepted.
2. Submit your travel plan and obtain advance approval.
Provide the required information through the participating local government's application page and complete the approval process.
3. Submit proof of spending and tourist attraction visits after traveling.
Make payments using accepted methods and prepare receipts along with any required evidence of visiting tourist attractions.
4. Apply for reimbursement and receive local currency.
Submit your reimbursement claim within the designated period. Following review, the approved amount is issued as local currency.
Requirements for verifying tourist attraction visits also differ between destinations.
Travelers may assume that submitting an accommodation receipt completes the process. In practice, some destinations also require proof that specific tourist attraction visits have been completed.
If You Travel by November 30, When Must You Use Your Cashback?
The announced redemption deadline for cashback rewards under the autumn campaign is April 30, 2027. The final travel date and the deadline for using reimbursement rewards are separate dates.
It is also important to understand that reimbursement is not paid as unrestricted cash. Instead, travelers receive mobile local currency that can be used in the relevant participating region.
The program states that reimbursed local currency can be spent at participating local merchants or regional online shopping platforms.
After receiving the reimbursement, travelers should check which merchants accept the currency and verify the actual expiration date of the issued vouchers. These rewards are not equivalent to cash that can be freely spent at every online retailer or ordinary store throughout South Korea.
Some destinations also operate travel periods that differ from the general November 30 campaign date. Sancheong County's announced third-round travel period ends on November 17, while Hamyang County's third-round travel period extends through December 10.
Rather than relying only on the campaign's general schedule when booking a trip, travelers should follow the specific travel period approved by the participating local government.
Is the Korea Accommodation Sale Festa Discount the Same as Regional Travel Cashback?
No. These are two separate programs.
South Korea's second-half 2026 Accommodation Sale Festa is a promotional campaign in which travelers obtain accommodation discount coupons through participating online travel agencies and apply them when booking.
By contrast, the Regional Travel Support Program requires travelers to submit their travel plans to a participating local government in advance and provide evidence of eligible expenses after their trip. Approved reimbursements are then issued in local currency.
Travelers should therefore distinguish between an immediate price reduction applied during accommodation booking and a reimbursement issued in local currency after completing their trip.
Whether both programs can be used together, and whether accommodation expenses already reduced by a discount coupon qualify for reimbursement, depends on each program's rules governing overlapping benefits and expense settlement.
Travelers should not assume that both benefits can automatically be combined.
What Should You Check Before Booking a Trip in November?
It is safer to check the destination's application status before paying for accommodation.
Once you have selected a participating destination, consult the Korea Tourism Organization's Half-Price Travel information for restrictions based on your officially registered residential address in South Korea. Then review the relevant local government's recruitment announcement to confirm the permitted travel period and whether applications are still open.
Next, check which accommodation expenses are recognized, which payment methods are accepted, whether tourist attraction visit verification is required, and the deadline for submitting reimbursement claims. These conditions determine how much cashback you may actually receive.
Spending KRW 200,000 on a trip does not automatically entitle a traveler to KRW 100,000 or KRW 140,000 in reimbursement. Two essential factors are whether the KRW 200,000 qualifies as eligible travel spending under the destination's rules and whether the traveler obtained approval before the trip.
