'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

Camptong Forest to open in July with mega-scale water activities

The Camptong resort is to open its largest outdoor water park at Cheongpyeong Lake in mid-July, which will also feature accommodations, camping and zones set aside for a variety of activities in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi Province.Called Camptong Forest, the planned water park will occupy about 33,000 square meters across the lake from Camptong’s existing water park. Officials hope the two parks combined will attract around 200,000 tourists per year to the area.The new water park has a 3,300 s

June 27, 2019

Vacation in Incheon: From triplet islets to Wonderbox

Yeongjongdo, an island off the west coast of South Korea, is popular as a quick getaway spot for Seoulites because the drive is only an hour or so from the heart of the capital.Beaches, seafood and shopping are some of the features boasted by the island -- home to Incheon Airport and connected to the mainland by the 4.4-kilometer Yeongjong Grand Bridge -- but the triplet islets of Sindo, Sido and Modo off its northern coast are also worth visiting in nice weather.Off to the isletsSammok Dock is

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

[Best Brand] Grand Hilton Seoul seeks to be venue for MICE events

In addition to offering accommodation, Grand Hilton Seoul promotes itself as a venue to host MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) events. Large conferences have been held at the convention center of the hotel in northwestern Seoul. The Grand Hilton Seoul Convention Center, the first major convention center operated by a hotel in Korea, is the second-largest convention venue in northern Seoul, after Iksan Kintex.The convention hall spans 8,264 square meters with seven floors.

June 26, 2019

Major tourist spots on Jeju Island to raise entrance fees starting July

Two of Jeju Island’s most famous tourist spots and natural heritage sites, Seongsan Ilchulbong and Manjanggul, will begin charging higher entrance fees starting next month.The Jeju World Natural Heritage Center said Sunday that general admission to Seongsan Ilchulbong, a volcanic peak formed by hydrovolcanic eruptions, will be increased from 2,000 won ($1.73) to 5,000 won. Tickets to Manjanggul, a huge cave created by basalt lava flows, will double in price from the current 2,000 won, the

June 24, 2019

Sono Felice offers discounts for foreigners

Daemyung Hotel & Resort’s Sono Felice is offering a promotion for foreign guests. The resort is located near Vivaldi Park in Gangwon Province, a two-hour drive from central Seoul.Under the promotion, a night at the silver suite costs 187,000 won ($160.70), the gold suite 212,000 won and the royal suite 234,000 won.  The deal also includes discount coupons for breakfast and other perks, including 40 percent off admission to the Ocean World water park, 30 percent off admission to th

June 21, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

1. Busan International Magic FestivalThe Busan International Magic Festival kicks off next Tuesday at Haeundae Beach with a grand opening ceremony. A magic contest and a gala magic show are among the events on offer during the festival, which runs until June 30 at the Busan Cinema Center, areas of Gunam-ro in Haeundae and the Busan Community Media Center.The minimum age for participants is 36 months.For more information in Korean, English, Japanese or Chinese, call the travel hotline at 1330. Th

June 21, 2019

Seoraksan and Chiaksan: gems in Gangwon worth a visit

This is the second part of a two-part series on Korea’s mountains. For part one on Bukhansan, visit http://khnews.kheraldm.com/view.php?ud=20190613000624&md=20190616003108_BL. -– Ed. A note to those wishing to scale up South Korea’s mountain ranges: Avoid spring, as many parts of the country’s famous mountains could be closed off to minimize the risk of wildfires. Korea’s national parks had roped off some routes from Feb. 15 to May 15 this year. The early d

June 21, 2019

Sono Village offers special discount for foreigners

For foreigners in South Korea who are planning a summer retreat in Gangwon Province, Daemyung Hotel & Resort’s Sono Village may be an option. On Wednesday the resort chain announced a promotion for foreign guests staying at Sono Village, a Vivaldi Park property in Gangwon Province, a two-hour drive from central Seoul. Under the promotion, a silver suite at Sono Village costs 215,000 won ($181), a deluxe gold suite 241,000 won, a grand gold suite 263,000 won and a royal deluxe suit

June 17, 2019

Trekking across backbone of Korean Peninsula

Bukhansan presents beautiful scenery a hop, skip and a jump away from SeoulThe Korean Peninsula is a land where myriad of mountain ridges decorate its bumpy surface. In ancient times, this presented a challenge to agricultural communities, but it also provided natural barricades.Today, the country’s mountains are a place to enjoy hiking, a sanctuary from hectic city life and a source of beautiful scenery.The Korea Herald recently visited three mountains within driving distance of Seoul --

June 13, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose Festival Launched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until Sunday. At a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park, in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more, including admission fees and how to get there, visit everland.com for information in Korean

June 13, 2019

Balwangsan Mountain has more than just skiing

Daegwallyeong county in Gangwon Province is mainly known for its ski resorts and sheep farms, but its 1,458 meter-high Balwangsan offers beautiful natural scenery and an opportunity to relax all year round. The 12th-highest mountain in the country has trekking courses, but one can also reach the top via one of the longest gondola rides in Korea, which departs from Yong Pyong Resort. This makes the experience more of a pleasant stroll than a challenging mountain hike.  On the 20-minute, 7.4

June 7, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose FestivalLaunched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until June 16. At a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more about the event, including admission fees and how to get there, visit everland.com for inform

June 7, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose FestivalLaunched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until June 16. At a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more about the event, including admission fees and how to get there, visit everland.com for inform

May 30, 2019

Sono Felice, Sono Village resorts offer promotional packages for foreigners

Sono Village and Sono Felice are offering promotional packages for foreigners that encompass discounts on rooms and other attractions available at the resorts.Under the promotion, the silver suite at Sono Village costs as low as 215,000 won, the gold suite A 241,000 won, the gold suite B 263,000 won and the royal deluxe room 282,000 won. It also comes with discount coupons for other facilities under Daemyung Resort, including the Ocean World water park, the K1 Speed kart racing track, Ant World,

May 27, 2019

[Travel Bits] Festivals, sights across Korea

Everland Rose FestivalLaunched in 1985, the long-running Everland Rose Festival opens every year in May. This year it continues until June 16. With a 20,000-square-meter rose garden, visitors can see various kinds of flowers while enjoying the amusement park.It is held inside Everland, South Korea’s largest theme park in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, and is open to visitors of all ages.To find out more about the event, including admission fees and how to get there, visit the homepage at everl

May 24, 2019

[Weekender] Border-area tourism on the rise

One of the last vestiges of the Cold War, the Demilitarized Zone is often described as the world’s most heavily fortified border. But it is also a tourist magnet, attracting 1.2 million visitors annually. From the bustling metropolis of Seoul, tour buses take hundreds of foreign and local tourists to security-related tourism spots on a daily basis -- from Imjingak, a family-friendly theme park that serves as a starting point for border-area tourism, to the historic truce village of Panmunj

May 24, 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