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

The annual Korea Travel Expo is being held online for the first time due to the pandemic situation until Tuesday. Around 120 organizations, including Korea Tourism Organization and local governments, are participating in the online expo hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and run by Tourism and Korea Tourism Association aimed at providing information on travel after the pandemic has gone away or become less severe in the future. The theme for the expo is “safe travel.” Durin

Wanju Gotgam Fesitval The annual Wanju Gotgam Fesitval is being held virtually this year, due to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Wanju, a county in North Jeolla Province, is famous for gotgam, or dried persimmon. Wanju gotgam was presented to the royal court during the Joseon era. The county produces about 9,300 tons of gotgam every year. The annual festival draws about 30,000 visitors. This year, it is held online, selling gotgam produced by local farmers. The online festival, whic

Anticipating arrival of COVID-19 vaccines, travel agencies launch new tour package deals, but limits exist

Imjingak Pyeonghwanuri Park in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is located about 7 kilometers south of the cease-fire line.  Developed right after the South-North joint communique of 1972, the park has become a tourist spot.  Relics with sorrow and pain from the Korean War that broke out on June 25, 1950 and confrontation between the two Koreas still exist there.  A steam locomotive preserved and exhibited as a cultural heritage in the park is one of the symbols of the tragic history o

Indie Jeonju Festival Indie Jeonju Festival will be held online Dec. 25-27. The festival is titled “Still Alive” this year, according to organizers, aiming to show that Jeonju-based musicians are still living passionately, despite the monthslong blackout in the culture sector due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 15 music acts will take to the stage, performing a wide range of music, from pop, folk, rock, jazz, hip-hop and classical music to innovative traditional Korean musi

Separated from the notorious car and foot traffic of the Gangnam neighborhood, Kukkiwon sits on a small hill in a calm area filled with trees. Kukkiwon, a traditional-looking building with white columns, has been the heart of the Korean martial art of taekwondo for the past half century.  The institution was established in November 1972 as the world headquarters of taekwondo. The same year, to celebrate its founding, it held the first-ever international competition. Since then, the orga

South Korea will host a meeting of an international organization for railway cooperation across Europe and Asia next year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Saturday.  The 49th annual ministers' meeting of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD) will be held in the country from June 15-18, 2021, according to the ministry. Founded in 1956, the OSJD coordinates railway policies and oversees related standards among Eurasian countries. South Korea joine

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will hold the final round of its IYKoongChallenge online dance competition Saturday in conjunction with the Korean Tourism Organization. The event will be livestreamed through the KTO’s YouTube (www.youtube.com/ImagineYourKorea) and Tiktok (tiktok.com/@imagineyourkorea) channels. The event aims to promote five South Korean cities selected as tourism hubs by the Culture Ministry in January: Busan; Gangneung, Gangwon Province; Jeonju, North Jeol

Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival The Yeongdeok Snow Crab Festival, initially slated for February, will be held online until Dec. 31. The festival, an annual event that celebrates local snow crabs caught off the east coast of North Gyeongsang Province, was scheduled for Feb. 20-23. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has moved online. A cooking show, a lucky draw and online sales of freshly caught snow crabs can be accessed at www.ydcf.co.kr, as well as on the festival’s social media chan

In a year that has witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt lives and devastate economies around the world, South Korea is seeking innovations to meet the challenges it presents. The following is the third article in a four-part series on how Korea is creating a new normal during the pandemic, produced in partnership with The Korea Foundation -- Ed. 28,714,247. That’s the number of number of South Koreans who traveled abroad last year, according to the Korea Tourism Organization. Due