AMPHIBIOUS BUS BECOMES TOURIST ATTRACTION

[Anchor Lead]

An unusual tourist bus is operated in Buyeo-gun County, Chungcheongnam-do Province. It’s an amphibious bus that can travel both on land and water. It’s been two years since the bus went into service. Despite the pandemic, the bus has become a signature attraction of Buyeo-gun County.

[Pkg]

A bus that left Baekje Cultural Land begins to pick up speed. It soon arrives at the Baengmagang River but instead of stopping, it plunges into the water. Once in the water, the bus turns into a boat, sailing across the river like a cruise ship. Passengers enjoy the surprising feature of the amphibious bus as they see the famous sights along the river, such as Naghwaam and the Goransa Temple.

[Soundbite] Nam Hae-min(Elementary School Student) : "I was scared when the bus sank in the water but it was thrilling and fun."

[Soundbite] Seo Ji-hee(Elementary School Student) : "It felt like riding on a boat. It was an amazing experience."

Two such amphibious buses have been in service in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do Province since July of 2020. Even in the middle of the pandemic, an average of about 2,500 people rode the buses per month in the first year of operation and some 3,700 people last year, reflecting demand up by 49%.

[Soundbite] Kang Yeong-seok(Executive, Amphibious Bus Operating Company) : "These are the first amphibious buses in Korea, so many students come to experience it in spring and fall."

Buyeo-gun County is developing an interactive tour package that adds canoeing and other water recreational activities to the sightseeing-only amphibious bus program.

[Soundbite] Lee Seong-yeon(Tourism Development Team, Buyeo-gun County Gov’t) : "We plan to add more water recreational activities to the current sightseeing-only tour program."

The Buyeo County government and the bus operator plans to increase the number of amphibious buses to four before the end of the year.