As data analytics increasingly shape how modern cities manage crowd flows and revitalize neighborhood economies, Korea’s official tourism agency is turning to the public for innovative ways to turn massive data sets into real-world economic strategy. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in tandem with the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), announced on Tuesday the launch of the 2026 Korea Tourism Data Lab Contest. Running through late September, the nationwide initiative invites individuals, researchers and businesses to demonstrate how insights harvested from the country’s official tourism data portal can solve pressing industry challenges, optimize local festival planning and boost regional spending. The contest comes during a period of surging engagement for the platform. In the first half of this year alone, the Korea Tourism Data Lab logged an average of 780,000 monthly visitors — a 23.6 percent increase compared to the same period of 2025, driving cumulative traffic past 5 million users. Meanwhile, media citations referencing the portal’s behavioral analytics have l