[Weekender] Luxury hotels target local spenders with diverse events

At its core, the function of a hotel is to offer guests a place to stay the night. However, in Korea, luxury hotels are widely known for another function: hosting gatherings of various types and sizes. These events have become an important source of revenue for hotels, which are facing fierce competition from guest houses offering cheaper accommodations and rental services like AirBnB. “If you look at the sales figures, banquets such as conferences and weddings make more than rooms,” said Hannah

May 22, 2015

[Weekender] App offers cheap lodging, fast booking

Urban dwellers have, at least once, dreamed of taking a spontaneous trip with little or no planning.Kim Ka-young, cofounder of Bonbonlab, the developer of hotel booking application Hotel Now, was one of them.When Kim was in her senior year at a local university, she randomly took a train to Busan without planning what to do and where to stay. She then realized that there was no affordable accommodation available for her that night. She contacted some 20 hotels and hostels, but they demanded a su

May 22, 2015

Travel Bits

‘Korea Night’ in LAThe Korea Tourism Organization will hold “Korea Night” at LA Dodgers Stadium on June 17 when the Dodgers and Texas Rangers face off in a Major League Baseball match.Korean players Ryu Hyun-jin, a starting pitcher for the LA Dodgers, and Choo Shin-soo, a Texas Rangers outfielder, will participate in the promotion of Korea to the some 50,000 spectators at the stadium, according to the KTO.K-pop girl group 2NE1’s CL will throw the first pitch of the game, and Korean rock singer Y

May 22, 2015

[Markets & Merchants] Moran Market has everything you need

Although Dongdaemun and Namdaemun tend to dominate many lists of “must-see markets” in Seoul, small-scale markets that are equally full of history and character are scattered across the city. This is the sixth installment of a series introducing traditional local markets. ― Ed.Behind a modern office building near the Bundang Line’s Moran Station lies Gyeonggi Province’s biggest traditional market, called the Moran Market, which has been around for more than 50 years.It is awfully quiet during we

May 18, 2015

[Herald Interview] Expedia seeks to change Korean vacation perceptions

Koreans take the fewest vacations in the world, according to a survey by Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company.They go on a vacation for about eight days a year, well below the world average of 20 days. The French take about 30 days of vacation.The company’s 2014 survey showed that this was mostly because of the negative perception of vacation by Korean bosses, and their tight work schedule.Faced with Korea’s longstanding rigid labor policy, Expedia seeks to change this by increasin

May 18, 2015

Travel Bits

Hadong Wild Tea FestivalHadong County in South Gyeongsang Province will host the 19th Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival from May 22-25.The festival will include programs to educate about Hadong’s unique tea history that dates back to the Unified Silla era.It will also have programs where visitors can hand-pick wild tea leaves from the gardens, and make teas, with demonstrations on tea-drinking etiquette for the young.Hadong officials said the festival will hold sideline events such as singing co

May 15, 2015

Historic charm meets modernism in Thuringia

THURINGIA, Germany ― Thuringia, one of Germany’s 16 states, may not be familiar to non-Europeans. But this small state of 2.3 million, located in central Germany, holds a special place in the country’s cultural and intellectual history: Great thinkers and artists like Luther, Bach, Goethe and Schiller all lived here for many years. Vestiges of their homes and working places are scattered around the state, most of them still in use as museums, churches or meeting places.As the capital city of Thu

May 15, 2015

Travel Bits

Lotus Lantern Festival in SeoulThe Lotus Lantern Festival will take place from May 15-17 in celebration of Buddha’s Birthday in the Jogyesa Temple, Ujeongguk-ro and Gwanghwamun areas. A 1,300-year-old tradition with over 300,000 Korean and foreign participants each year, the festival features 100,000 lotus lanterns of various shapes and colors lighting up the Seoul night, alongside hands-on activities and family-oriented programs. The exhibition of traditional lanterns will be held from May 15-2

May 8, 2015

Aqaba: Cozy gateway to Red Sea

AQABA, Jordan ― Jordan is well known for its archeological city, Petra, and the big salt lake, the Dead Sea, in the western part of the Middle East.Officials from the tourism board in the country, however, noted that a large proportion of Jordanians say they love Aqaba, the only port city of Jordan, more than Petra or the Dead Sea.The name of Aqaba, initially, reminded this reporter of Aruba on the Caribbean Sea: the latter was familiar as the first word in the lyrics of the theme song, “Kokomo,

May 8, 2015

[Markets & Merchants] A marketplace for the locals

Although Dongdaemun and Namdaemun tend to dominate many lists of “must-see markets” in Seoul, small-scale markets that are equally full of history and character are scattered across the city. This is the fifth installment of a series introducing traditional local markets. ― Ed.If strolling up and down the aisle mazes of giant conglomerate shopping malls with marked-up prices and pushing around shopping carts is not your cup of tea, it’s safe to assume that you will be pleased with the Gyeongdong

May 3, 2015

Travel Bits

Experience German tradition, customsGermany is known for its strong manufacturing industry consisting of high-tech small and medium enterprises that drive its economic growth. It holds also one of the biggest consumer electronics fairs called IFA in Berlin.But the German National Tourist Board seeks to make other parts of its country well-known beyond technology by launching a tourism campaign, enabling Koreans to experience its tradition and customs.Germany will offer tourism programs enabling

April 24, 2015

Spring outing in Seoul off the beaten path

This is the fourth and last installment of a series introducing Korea’s springtime tourist destinations. ― Ed.Korea is once again celebrating spring, which provides an opportunity of warm weather amid the country’s tempestuous seasonal fluctuations. For those who want to revel in the outdoors this season, away from the crowds that occupy outing hotspots, The Korea Herald suggests three lesser-known but picturesque locations in Seoul.The Hangdong Railroad, located in Guro-gu, now serves mainly as

April 20, 2015

Changwon’s spring about more than cherry blossoms

This is the third installment of a four-part series introducing Korea’s springtime tourist destinations. ― Ed.CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province ― Changwon, a southern industrial port city, heralds the arrival of spring on the Korean Peninsula with cherry blossoms. The city’s Jinhae district draws huge crowds of tourists and locals with the famed cherry blossom festival Gunhangje every April. But Changwon is not all about cherry blossoms. A true spring trip comes after the blossoms fall. This i

April 19, 2015

[Travel Bits]

Throwback ’70s theme in BoseongKorail will offer a tourism program in front of Deukryang Train Station in Boseong County, South Jeolla Province, where both the old and the young can play games and visit stores of the ’70s. Boseong is renowned for green teas.The rail operator has remodeled the station, and will open ’70s coffee and barber shops to take visitors back in time and reminisce about the good old days.Korail’s Cosplay Festival, which will be held from May 2-31, will also allow tourists

April 17, 2015

Tongyeong: Gateway to Korean islet bliss

This is the second installment of a four-part series introducing Korea’s springtime tourist destinations. ― Ed.TONGYEONG, South Gyeongsang Province -― The island-cluster port city of Tongyeong is an all-too forgotten weekend coastal destination for those looking to revel in the refreshing sea air while avoiding crowds of beach dwellers and out-of-towners. Situated on the southern reaches of South Gyeongsang Province, Tongyeong is only about 1 1/2 hours’ drive from Busan. Best known as the locati

April 16, 2015

See works of master craftsmen in spring

This is the first installment of a four-part series introducing Korea’s springtime tourist destinations. ― Ed.With the cool breeze of winter behind us and the start of Korea’s prime spring season, many people want to break free from their daily lives and visit hot tourist spots.But for quick weekend getaways, a long line of cherry blossoms on sidewalks aren’t the only things to see when the young finish their rigorous school exams and older citizens file their last business documents.The Korea T

April 15, 2015

Where China meets Southeast Asia

XISHUANGBANNA, China ― Xishuangbanna is not “typical” China. Located at the very southern end of Yunnan province and dubbed China’s mini-Thailand, it strikes visitors as remarkably Southeast Asian. The region’s capital city, Jinghong, lies close to the border with Laos and Myanmar. The palm tree-lined streets, jungle-capped mountains and tropical climate are all proof that this is where China meets Southeast Asia. The lengthy name Xishuangbanna is lesser known to people ― even in China ― and nev

April 10, 2015

Travel Bits

Korea to launch ‘Spring Tourism Week’ in MayThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will launch its second Tourism Week program for the spring season nationwide next month.The program, in partnership with some 3,000 tourism companies and operators, will run in 17 regions from May 1-14.Companies such as resorts and hotels participating in the state-led tourism program will offer a variety of programs with discounts at tourist attractions, in accordance with the regions’ culture and landscape.

April 10, 2015