KTO big data analyses show latest tourism trends

Haeundae Light Festival The Haeundae Light Festival is being held across the Haeundae area in Busan. Light decorations have been installed at the iconic Haeundae Beach and Haeundae Market, creating a spectacular nighttime view. Outdoor events and hands-on experiences and activities, however, have all been canceled. The festival will continue until March 28.  Jeju Canola Flower Festival Welcoming spring, the Jeju Canola Flower Festival will open April 9. During the festival, canola

Soraepogu Fish Market located in Namdong-gu, Incheon, is a popular tourist attraction in the metropolitan area with more than 8 million visitors a year. The fish market, located about 32 kilometers from Gwanghwamun in downtown Seoul, is the nearest mudflat to the capital. At the market, large and small fishing boats can be seen bringing in freshly caught seafood from off the coast of Incheon. The place is famous for shrimp, salted fish and blue crab. A 1.56 million square-meter Sorae Ecologic

Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, is hosting its annual Lighting Festival until March 14. According to the Garden of Morning Calm, it is the first light festival in Korea to add lights to natural surroundings. The environment-friendly LED lights shine throughout the 330,000-square-meter garden. Admissions cost 9,500 won per adult, 7,000 won per middle and high school student, and 6,000 won per children.  Daegu Na

Wolhwawon, a traditional Chinese garden located in the center of Suwon, the largest city of Gyeonggi Province, is open to the surrounding landscape, erasing boundaries between indoors and outdoors and offering visitors a taste of the Chinese way of life. Open since 2006, the garden, which is typical of 17th-century architecture in China’s southern Guangdong province, attracts residents looking to be with nature in the city and tourists searching for exotic experiences. Walls, pavilion

Turning pandemic into an opportunity, wilderness traveler readies himself for cooking in the South Pole

Gyodongdo, an island in Incheon, west of Seoul, lies right below the western sea border with North Korea. Just 2 to 3 kilometers away from the North’s South Hwanghae Province and separated only by a stretch of water, it’s quite possible for visitors to get a peek at the reclusive nation with their own eyes.  The cross-border tensions have waxed and waned for decades since the separation of the two Koreas. But the small island is surprisingly calm -- longtime residents are busy

New books examine global travel trends

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization have announced the 100 Must-Visit Tourism Spots of Korea for 2021-2022. Fifty-one of the travel destinations on the list are natural attractions and 49 are cultural attractions, reflecting the demand for tourism related to history, culture and the liberal arts, the ministry said. A total of 19 spots have been selected five consecutive times since the biennial list was launched in 2013, including the five Joseon pa

The five-star Mayfield Hotel Seoul, located in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is offering the Wellness Forest package for those looking to refresh, relax and recover. The package, available until mid-December, offers a one-night stay in a superior room and a variety of programs to help guests heal both body and mind. Breakfast that includes rocket juice, eggs and croissant is offered as room service, as well as a dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Bongraeheon or La Festa. Complimentary tea i

Korea Tourism Organization announced Wednesday, it labeled this year‘s domestic travel trends with the acronym BETWEEN, reflecting to the changes in the tourism industry sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The KTO, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports, analyzed travel-related big data processed by social media, mobile carriers and credit card processing firms from January to August. Through the research, it was able to recognize how the tourism industry has been af

South Korean tourism businesses that are suffering due to the pandemic will be eligible for additional loans from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. A total of 594 billion won ($546.57 million) will be provided in the form of additional loans, while repayment may be deferred for 100 billion won worth of loans that are due next year. “We made changes by actively reflecting various feedback from the tourism industry, which is currently experiencing difficulties. We hope that th

Customers complain about global platform operator’s refund policy

 Stepping into the modern Seoul Station, South Korea’s central train station, one might wonder how far back the history of Korean trains and railroads goes.  Only one hour from Seoul Station by subway, the Railroad Museum in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, offers a glimpse into more than 100 years of history of Korean trains and railroads. The museum is run by national railway operator Korail. In the two-story museum, which was moved to its current location in 1988, models of Kore

ROVANIEMI, Finland (AFP) -- In Finland’s snowy far north, international visitors normally flood the Santa Claus Village amusement park, in search of reindeer rides, snow castles and a meeting with the jolly man himself. Under the pandemic travel restrictions, however, crowds in the Lapland town of Rovaniemi have dwindled to just a trickle and the joyful winter wonderland feels ghostly and abandoned. “It’s been an exceptional and difficult year,” Santa tells AFP from beh