Discover the beauty of South Gyeongsang Province on foot

A survey by the Korea Culture & Tourism Institute survey showed that Koreans are becoming more relaxed about domestic travel as the COVID-19 situation continues. KCTI conducted online survey about traveling amid the COVID-19 pandemic in May last year on 2,000 Koreans over 15 and did a follow up survey last November on the same subjects, to which 1,079 responded. The results showed that Koreans b...

Hadong Tea Festival The 24th Hadong Tea Festival will be held online from May 15 to 23. The organizers of the festival discussed canceling the annual event due to concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they decided to hold the festival to promote the 2022 Handong World Tea Expo. To prevent spread of the virus, this year‘s festival will mainly feature contactless online pro...

The trails around the Joseon royal tombs in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province that have undergone maintenance work will also feature peach blossoms and other flowers, such as the Japanese cornel and the Korean rosebay. In observance of the social distancing guidelines, the Royal Palace and Tomb Center is insisting on a 3-meter distance between visitors, making visitors walk in one direction and requir...

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival The Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival will be held online from April 1 to 16. The festival celebrates the legendary scholar Wang In from the Baekje Kingdom (18 BC-AD 668). An envoy to Japan, it is said that Wang introduced the Chinese writing system to the Japanese. Online lectures, quizzes and trot music shows will take place as part of the festival. For more in...

Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival The Jochiwon Spring Flower Festival will be held from April 1 to 11. The annual spring festival went online last year due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic. This year, the fesitval will be held both online and offline. The festival, usually held for three days, will be held over 11 days this year. Though the main festival area was the Jochiwon Station main street a...

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 Welcom...

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. T...

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 p...

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 t...

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 tw...

“It is sad that we cannot enjoy traveling as we please as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. We hope Koreans and tourists can travel freely in the near future, visiting the 100 Must-Visit Tourism Spots of Korea,” Choi Bo-guen, head of the Culture Ministry’s Tourism Policy Bureau, said. For more information about the 100 Must-Visit Tourism Spots of Korea, check the KTO’s official website at www.vis...

New books examine global travel trends