New Guidelines For Urban Homestays In South Korea: A Boost For Local Hosts And Foreign Tourists

Published on October 10, 2025

Due to nan return of overseas visitors and nan rising request for immersive and genuine experiences, South Korea’s tourism manufacture has seen a singular resurgence successful caller years. The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has made immoderate important changes to meet this demand, including loosening rules connected municipality homestays, a lodging action successful which locals rent retired rooms successful their homes to visitors from different countries. The government’s efforts to make nan lodging marketplace much accessible and inclusive are reflected successful these changes, which will springiness visitors distinctive, culturally enriching experiences while simultaneously giving locals a chance to profit from nan thriving tourism sector.

Relaxation of Building Age Restrictions

Under erstwhile regulations, homes older than 30 years were automatically disqualified from being registered arsenic tourer lodging facilities. This broad regularisation made it difficult for galore metropolis residents, peculiarly those surviving successful areas pinch older but structurally sound homes, to participate successful nan municipality homestay market. Recognising that this norm nary longer aligned pinch nan realities connected nan ground, nan Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism introduced a important change: buildings older than 30 years tin now beryllium registered arsenic homestay accommodations, provided they meet nan information standards group retired successful nan Building Act and nan Building Management Act.

This revision opens up a wealthiness of opportunities for owners of older properties, peculiarly successful municipality areas wherever galore structures are much than a fewer decades old. Local governments now person nan work of determining whether a building is considered an “unauthorised structure” and, if necessary, consulting experts for illustration architects to guarantee that information protocols are met. By lifting nan property restriction, nan authorities has taken a measurement toward embracing nan imaginable of older, well-maintained homes arsenic viable lodging options, tapping into nan charm and characteristic that these properties often connection to travellers.

For section hosts, this alteration is peculiarly significant. In areas for illustration Seoul, wherever nan municipality scenery is filled pinch older homes, it was antecedently challenging for owners of well-maintained properties to participate nan tourism market. The caller rules now let these homes to beryllium evaluated based connected their structural information alternatively than their property alone, creating caller opportunities for residents to pat into nan tourism boom.

Simplified Language Requirements for Hosts

Another awesome accommodation made successful nan caller guidelines concerns nan connection requirements for hosts. Previously, individuals wishing to connection municipality homestays were required to show a definite level of fluency successful overseas languages, aliases they had to coming standardised trial scores balanced to a TOEIC people of 760. This request often served arsenic a obstruction for imaginable hosts who wanted to stock their homes but lacked general connection proficiency.

Under nan revised regulations, hosts are nary longer expected to meet rigid connection standards done general tests. Instead, they tin now usage translator apps and different technological devices to pass efficaciously pinch overseas guests. This alteration reflects nan increasing domiciled of integer devices successful bridging connection gaps, making it easier for residents to prosecute pinch visitors from astir nan world. As a result, nan caller rules region nan connection obstruction for galore imaginable hosts, empowering much individuals to participate successful nan municipality homestay market, sloppy of their overseas connection skills.

The alteration successful connection requirements not only broadens nan excavation of imaginable hosts but besides makes nan process much accessible for those who mightiness not person been capable to meet nan aged criteria. For overseas tourists, this accommodation ensures that their stays will beryllium culturally immersive, pinch hosts being capable to prosecute pinch them successful meaningful ways, moreover if they do not stock a communal language. Translation devices make connection much fluid, allowing guests to bask nan acquisition of staying successful a section location without nan accent of a connection barrier.

The Impact of These Reforms connected South Korea’s Tourism Sector

These changes are expected to person a important effect connected South Korea’s municipality homestay market, which has historically lagged down different lodging options successful position of popularity. While nan state has seen a crisp rebound successful inbound tourism this year, nan maturation of municipality homestays has been slower. The caller regulations are designed to region barriers that antecedently hindered section residents from offering accommodations to overseas tourists, allowing them to pat into this increasing market.

For section residents, nan imaginable benefits of opening their homes to visitors are substantial. Urban homestays supply a measurement to make further income while contributing to nan tourism ecosystem. This tin beryllium peculiarly beneficial for group successful municipality areas pinch precocious request for accommodation but constricted abstraction for larger hotels aliases guesthouses. In areas for illustration Seoul, wherever abstraction is often astatine a premium, allowing residents to big guests successful their homes tin thief meet nan accommodation request without nan request for large-scale developments.

Moreover, these reforms connection visitors a much personalised and authentic recreation experience. Staying successful a local’s location provides overseas visitors pinch nan opportunity to immerse themselves successful South Korean culture, thing that is often difficult to execute successful much commercialised edifice settings. By staying successful municipality homestays, travellers tin acquisition life successful a existent South Korean neighbourhood, gaining insights into section traditions, customs, and lifestyles.

The reforms are portion of a broader push by nan South Korean authorities to revitalise nan tourism sector. As portion of nan 10th National Tourism Strategy Meeting held successful precocious September 2025, nan authorities identified regulatory invention arsenic 1 of 3 cardinal pillars for nan industry’s recovery. The relaxation of municipality homestay regulations aligns pinch this vision, offering a much elastic attack to tourism that benefits some locals and visitors.

A Path Forward for Cultural Exchange and Economic Growth

The updated guidelines for municipality homestays are a clear denotation of South Korea’s committedness to creating a much inclusive and move tourism industry. By lowering introduction barriers for section residents, nan authorities is fostering a much divers scope of lodging options that will entreaty to a wide assortment of travellers. Whether visitors are looking for an authentic taste experience, a much friendly setting, aliases an opportunity to prosecute pinch section life, municipality homestays connection a unsocial replacement to accepted accommodations.

As nan world tourism scenery continues to evolve, these changes position South Korea to use from a increasing liking successful experiential travel. By empowering section residents to participate successful nan tourism sector, nan authorities is not only boosting nan system but besides promoting taste exchange. These reforms bespeak a increasing nickname of nan worth that section communities bring to nan tourism experience, helping to create a much sustainable and inclusive exemplary for early growth.

A New Era for Urban Homestays successful South Korea

The determination by South Korea to loosen laws governing municipality homestays represents a melodramatic alteration successful nan nation’s tourism policies. The authorities is making it imaginable for much locals to big overseas visitors successful their homes by removing nan building property regularisation and streamlining connection requirements. This action not only boosts nan section system but besides improves nan wide acquisition of visitors by encouraging cross-cultural interactions and stronger ties betwixt visitors and locals. South Korea is positioned to look arsenic a apical recreation destination for visitors looking for genuine, immersive lodging experiences arsenic municipality homestays proceed to summation popularity.