[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival The Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival has returned after a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival, which started on March 25, is scheduled to run through April 16 at various sites in Gyeongju, including Gyeongju Expo Grand Park, the park of royal tombs, or also known as Daereungwon, and more. Celebrating the return of in-person festivities, visitors can try their hands at various activities like “plogging” under cherry blossom tre

April 8, 2022

Les Clefs d’Or full member wishes to give more to guests

At the core of hotel concierge service is knowing a guest’s needs through even the subtlest gestures, and remembering them on their next visit, according to Kum Sang-jin, assistant manager of the rooms team at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul. Kum received the Les Clefs d’Or badge of two golden keys on Feb. 14, which symbolizes professional expertise as well as the best and most unique concierge services. Founded in 1929 by Pierre Quentin, head concierge of the Hotel Ambassador Paris, th

Feb. 24, 2022

[Eye Plus] School supplies shops come to life with start of new academic year

As the warm weather approaches, blue skies mark the beginning of a new school year. At this time of the year, the Cheonho Stationery and Toy Shop Street is busier than ever.  Located around Cheonho Station exit No. 1, the complex greets families looking to purchase school supplies and gifts for children at affordable prices. The complex has shops selling basic school supplies as well as the latest cartoon character toys and party goods that children love.  Packs of colored penc

Feb. 19, 2022

[Herald Interview] Putting localization at the center of hotel experience

When planning a new hotel, incorporating the distinctive culture of its location to the guest experience is one of the top priorities for Serena Lim, vice president of hotel development for Southeast Asia and Korea at the IHG Hotels and Resorts. “Around the world where people can travel, they are travelling,” said Lim about travel in pandemic times during an interview with The Korea Herald on Tuesday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas. Lim, who has been in the hospitality in

Feb. 18, 2022

First five-star hotel of global brand to be built in Gyeonggi Province

  Gyeonggi Province, which surrounds Seoul, will get its first five-star hotel with a global brand in Pyeongtaek by 2022, the city government announced on Thursday. According to the municipality of Pyeongtaek, about 70 kilometers south of Seoul, the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), a global hotel company, plans to build a voco hotel with more than 250 rooms near a United States military base in the city by December 2022. Voco is a luxury brand owned by IHG. The municipality said it h

Oct. 15, 2020

South Korea to resume flights with Vietnam, Russia

South Korea said Thursday it has agreed with Vietnam and Russia to resume flights following months of suspension over the new coronavirus outbreak. Flights linking Incheon, west of Seoul, with Vietnamese and Russian cities will start this and next month, according to the land and foreign ministries, helping businesspeople having a hard time due to months of disruptions in international travel. Under an agreement with Vietnam, flights connecting Incheon with Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will oper

Sept. 24, 2020

Suncheon Bay Nat'l Garden most popular regional travel destination in 2019

The Suncheon Bay National Garden, a massive ecological park in the country's southwestern region, was the most popular regional tourist destination last year outside of hot spots in and around Seoul, according to government data Wednesday. The number of visitors to the park, located 415 kilometers south of Seoul in the province of South Jeolla, reached 6.18 million, the largest among regional tourist destinations, last year, according to data provided by the culture ministry and its affiliated

July 15, 2020

[Graphic News] Bangkok world’s most visited city again

　Bangkok was the world’s most-visited city in 2018 for the fourth consecutive year, ahead of Paris and London, according to a ranking compiled by Mastercard.　Thailand’s capital hosted more than 22 million international overnight travelers, Mastercard’s latest Global Destination Cities Index shows. 　Seoul ranked No. 11 with 11.25 million visitors.　Rankings are based on the number of overnight visitors. The average Bangkok stay was 4.8 nights. (Bloomberg)

Sept. 11, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Mega Wave Festival at Caribbean Bay The Caribbean Bay water park at Everland is celebrating summer with a 50-day Mega Wave Festival.The festival, which kicked off June 21 and runs through Aug. 18, offers flyboard performances and other fun events for visitors of all ages. The Mega Pool Party music festival, which takes place at the wave pool and features popular acts like Mamamoo and DinDin, is one of the highlights. Outdoor attractions such as the Aqualoop and Water Bobsleigh will be rolled out

July 5, 2019

'Hyangho Beach Bus Stop' favorite travel destination for BTS fans: poll

A bus stop on a remote east coast beach has been voted the most popular travel destination for K-pop group BTS' fans planning to visit South Korea, a poll showed Monday.The "Hyangho Beach Bus Stop" in the Jumunjin district of Gangneung, Gangwon Province, ranked first in a popularity poll of BTS filming locations across Korea conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization on 22,272 fans in 137 countries.According to the KTO, 21.8 percent of the pollees chose the Hyangho Beach Bus Stop in G

July 1, 2019

[Graphic News] Average spending by foreign tourists in S. Korea tumbles in Q1

　Average spending by foreign tourists visiting South Korea has decreased to a level last seen 10 years ago, data showed.　According to the data from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, foreign tourists coming to Korea spent an average of $1,268 per person per trip in the first quarter of this year. 　The figure is down 12.1 percent from $1,442 a year ago and marks the fourth quarterly decrease in a row.　Average spending hovered around $1,200 in the mid-2

June 27, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Mega Wave Festival at Caribbean BayThe Caribbean Bay water park at Everland is celebrating summer with a 50-day Mega Wave Festival.The festival, which kicked off June 21 and runs through Aug. 18, offers flyboard performances and other fun events for visitors of all ages. The Mega Pool Party music festival, which takes place at the wave pool and features popular acts like Mamamoo and DinDin, is one of the highlights. Outdoor attractions such as the Aqualoop and the Water Bobsleigh will be rolled

June 27, 2019

[Weekender] An eerie reminder of precarious peace at DMZ Peace Trail

Don’t take the Gangbyeonbuk highway during rush hours in Seoul.That was what I screamed in my mind as the bus took the road fare more traveled, an agonizingly slow path eastward, toward Gangwon Province, where the government recently decided to open a new section of the Demilitarized Zone to civilians.The DMZ Peace Trail in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province, some 90 kilometers from the capital, is the second of the project located at the inter-Korean border, which the authorities hope will

May 23, 2019

[Graphic News] No. of foreign tourists to S. Korea up 12.4%

　The number of foreigners who arrived in South Korea jumped by 12.4 percent in March from a year earlier due to higher numbers of Chinese and Japanese tourists on incentive tours, the local tourism promotion agency said.　A total of 1.54 million foreigners arrived here last month, compared with 1.36 million a year ago, according to the Korea Tourism Organization.　The number of Chinese tourists shot up 20.9 percent last month from a year earlier to some 488,000, due to an increase in both independ

April 30, 2019

[Graphic News] Asian tourists favor Myeong-dong, but Americans and Europeans prefer Seoul’s palaces

　Foreign tourists in Seoul prefer different sightseeing spots depending on nationality, a research paper showed.　Visitors from Asia prefer Myeong-dong, one of the capital’s main shopping districts, while European and American tourists are most impressed by royal palaces, according to the paper jointly published by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Kyung Hee University.　Chinese and Americans gave high marks to Seoul for safety, while Japanese said they were satisfied with the food and Europea

Feb. 6, 2019

[Graphic News] Korean travelers looking more at Portugal, Hungary

　South Korean tourists’ interest grew the most for Portugal and Hungary over the past year, although Japan, Vietnam and other nearby Asian nations remained steady picks, according to a travel fare website.　Skyscanner analyzed internet searches of travel destinations from October last year to September this year and found that searches for Portugal increased 93 percent compared to the previous period of the same months. Searches for Hungary were up second most, jumping 74 percent.　Other increases

Dec. 13, 2018

[Graphic News] Southeast Asia top spot for S. Korean winter tourists

　Southeast Asia has emerged as the most popular tourist destination for South Koreans planning on overseas trips in December, a leading travel agency said.　Hana Tour, the largest travel agency in South Korea, said that as of Wednesday, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations accounted for slightly over 54 percent of all reservations for overseas travel in the coming month.　The portion is up sharply from 34.1 percent for December last year. Japan followed with 18 percent, trailed by 12.8 percen

Nov. 15, 2018

[Graphic News] Vietnam's Danang top summer vacation destination

　Vietnam's city of Danang was the most popular summer vacation destination among Koreans this year, a shift from last year's preference for cities in Japan, according to an online shopping mall.　Flight ticket sales in the July-August period showed Danang as the top foreign travel location, TMON said, up three places from last year. The cost of traveling in the city is relatively cheap at about 100,000 won ($90.33) per day. 　TMON said its sales data showed a growing preference for places that off

Aug. 30, 2018

[Travel bits] Festivals, sights around Korea

Anseong Ice Fishing Fest Visitors are welcome to participate in various winter activities such as ice fishing, sledding, traditional winter games and barehanded fishing. Gwanghyewon Reservoir, the venue of the Anseong Ice Fishing Festival, is one of the largest reservoirs of Anseong known for its first-class water quality that runs down from Charyeon Mountain Range.The festival lasts until Feb. 25, and admission is 5,000 won per person. Children under 5 are admitted free.Call the travel hotline

Jan. 19, 2018

[Around the Hotels] Promotions and packages

Holiday feast at Millennium Seoul HiltonMillennium Seoul Hilton is offering Milton’s Festive Feast, a dining and entertainment promotion for the holiday season. The event will be held at the Atrium on the third floor on Sunday starting at 6 p.m., and features a buffet of various dishes, Santa Claus, live piano and brass music, a photo zone, comedy show and raffle. The hotel has been celebrating Christmas for the last 22 years. The two-floor lobby is decorated with a 10-meter Christmas tree, Sant

Dec. 22, 2017