The Korea Herald

Harbour Plaza Hotels, Resorts named ‘Best Local Hotel Chain’

Harbour Plaza Hotels and Resorts, a hotel chain in Hong Kong and mainland China, has received the award of Best Local Hotel Chain by TTG Travel Awards, a prestigious travel award given by the travel industry publication TTG Asia, for three consecutive years.The award is an established benchmark of quality for the travel industry and consumers. The major hotel chain offers a distinctive blend of comfortable elegance, understated luxury and value for money, the publication said. The company curren

Oct. 12, 2012

KTO holding ‘Gangnam Style’ event

The Korea Travel Organization holds a “Gangnam Style” contest that offers a free trip to Korea for the winners. Winners will receive two round-trip airline tickets to Korea plus a two-night stay at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill in Seoul. Other prizes include CDs by Psy and other K-pop singers, Seoul travel guidebooks and traditional mask-shaped soaps. Participants can join two events until Oct. 28. The first event asks participants to make a 10-minute video clip about their own Korean style, upload

Oct. 12, 2012

Air Busan increases Busan-Fukuoka service in November

Air Busan announced it will increase the frequency of its nonstop service between Busan and Fukuoka to two flights daily, in the morning and afternoon. To celebrate the launch of the new service, Air Busan is offering a special discount on airline tickets for travelers flying from Busan to Fukuoka and Osaka. The discounted price is available for those who book the service by Oct. 21 for flights from Nov. 15-30. During the event period, a round-trip ticket from Busan to Fukuoka costs 164,800 won

Oct. 12, 2012

Taste Korea’s best rice at Icheon festival

Icheon in Gyeonggi Province, famous for producing high-quality rice, is holding a rice festival this month to celebrate the harvest. The city will hold its 14th rice festival from Oct. 25-28 and offers a variety of activities related to rice and Korean agricultural traditions and customs. Korea’s traditional activities and performances held during the harvest season in the old days will be recreated to celebrate the successful harvest season this year despite frequent typhoons and rains this sum

Oct. 12, 2012

Taste Korea’s best rice at Icheon festival

Pondering the mysteries of Easter Island

EASTER ISLAND, Chile (AP) ― From its famed giant stone statues to finding a good, affordable hotel, Easter Island is full of mysteries.There are ancient questions, like how the statues were transported, and why the island lost its trees. And there are modern puzzles, like what $1,600 a night will get you in a hotel and why roads aren’t better marked for visitors touring the island.Perhaps it’s fitting that riddles still exist on the most remote inhabited island on earth: a Chilean territory in t

Oct. 12, 2012

Pondering the mysteries of Easter Island

Couples say they get closer on road trips

Almost all U.S. couples say they have taken a road trip together and 84 percent say the experience strengthened their relationship, a survey indicates.A survey of more than 1,000 U.S. couples by YourTango.com, a website on relationships, and the Ford Motor Co., found plenty of couples have a "back-seat driver" on board who "helps" the real driver negotiate the road:-- 32 percent tell the driver th

Oct. 7, 2012

Airlines set bag fee record in first half of year

NEW YORK (AP) ― U.S. airlines collected more than $1.7 billion in baggage fees during the first half of the year, the largest amount ever collected in that six-month period.Delta Air Lines Inc. once again claimed the title as the airline collecting the most in baggage fees: nearly $430 million from January through June. The slightly larger United Airlines ― part of United Continental Holdings Inc. ― followed with $351 million in bag fees, according to a report from the Bureau of Transportation s

Oct. 5, 2012

Hawaii International Film Festival opens next week

The 32nd Hawaii International Film Festival will be held from Oct. 11-21 in Honolulu. The film festival will present about 140 top films around the world including two Korean movies, “All About My Wife” and “Two Weddings and a Funeral.” Established in 1981, the event aims to be a festival of record for emerging films from Asia and the Pacific. “The Hawaii International Film Festival is growing as an international movie festival. I look forward to this year’s festival, which will present a variet

Oct. 5, 2012

Norway becoming popular travel destination for Koreans

The number of nights Koreans stay in Norway jumped by 40 percent in July compared to the previous year and showed a 30 percent increase from January to July, according to the Norway Tourism Board. The board held an annual workshop on Tuesday in Seoul to promote Norway tourism to Korean travel agents. More than 15 Norwegian hospitality, leisure and transportation companies and airlines and 60 Korean travel agents attended the workshop that held presentations and business consultations. More organ

Oct. 5, 2012

Hotels.com Welcome Rewards celebrates 1st anniversary in Korea

The online hotel booking site Hotels.com celebrates the 1st anniversary of the launch of its Welcome Rewards program in Korea, which offers one free night’s accommodation for every ten nights stayed. It gives Hotels.com customers a chance to redeem their free night’s accommodation across more than 65,000 hotels globally, with no blackout periods imposed. “Korean travelers love loyalty programs and we are proud of Welcome Rewards as it is simple and easy to use as well as more generous than many

Oct. 5, 2012

Resorts show guests grounds with Segway tours

NEW YORK (AP) ― Some couples celebrate their anniversary with a horse-drawn carriage ride. Others rent a romantic cabin in the woods. A few even jet off to Las Vegas and renew their vows in front of Elvis.Lori Kelly and her husband Gene recently marked their second anniversary by touring the woods of the Omni Bedford Springs Resort & Spa on a Segway.“It was absolutely fantastic. It is really the ultimately unique experience especially for people my age,” said Kelly, 59. Her husband is 64. “It gi

Oct. 5, 2012

Resorts show guests grounds with Segway tours

When in Japan, see dugongs, eat dugong cookies

TOKYO (AP) ― Americans may seem obsessed with animals, with daycare for dogs and TV therapists for cats, not to mention the hours we spend looking at photos of cute critters on the Internet. But it’s generally the conventionally adorable ones that get our attention. On a recent trip to Japan I found ample evidence of our two countries’ mutual adoration of pets and pandas. But it was a pleasure to immerse myself in a culture that shares my appreciation for more unusual creatures as well. Here are

Oct. 5, 2012

When in Japan, see dugongs, eat dugong cookies

Wine dinner at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul

The hotel’s authentic grill restaurant JW Grill presents dinner courses paired with Robert Mondavi, known as “the White House wine,” until Oct. 31. The six courses, cooked mainly with Korean ingredients, include tuna tartare, carrot soup, olive-flavored salmon garnished with lentils, roasted duck breast with fig salad, slow-cooked beef ribs with seasonal vegetables, and a choice of seven finest Robert Mondavi wines. Jeff Mosher, a visiting Michelin Star chef will provide guests with the best din

Oct. 5, 2012

Fall festivals turn Seoul into performing stage

Street performances, fireworks and music offer rich cultural experiencesSeoul has transformed into a giant stage for dance performances, music and fireworks as the annual Hi Seoul Festival and other festivals begin this week. A total of 62 local and international performance groups are taking over the streets and neighborhoods with various genres of performances from parades, street theater, circus and stunt flying, to dance and a lot more. About 200 dance performances will be seen throughout t

Oct. 3, 2012

Fall festivals turn Seoul into performing stage

Chinese flock to Korea

About 100,000 Chinese tourists are expected to flock to Korea during the long Chinese holiday this week, Korea’s tourism agency said. Korea has seen a significant surge in the number of Chinese tourists entering the country since last week as the neighboring country began the nine-day “golden week” holiday that started on the lunar full moon day on Sept. 29 and continues through the national holiday from Oct. 1-7. Tourism experts also find that Korea is rising as an alternative travel destinatio

Oct. 2, 2012

Calendar

Theater / dance“A Tale of Two Cities”: A Korean adaptation of Broadway musical “A Tale of Two Cities,” based on Charles Dickens’ 1859 novel of the same title, is currently being staged in Seoul. The show is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution, and tells the story of French peasantry demoralized by the aristocracy. It received the 2009 Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for outstanding new musical. Korea’s musical star Ryu Jeong-han is playing its protagonist Sydney

Sept. 28, 2012

KORAIL offers discount on F1 Korea Grand Prix tickets

The Korea Railroad Corporation offers a 10 percent discount on tickets for the F1 Korea Grand Prix, which will be held from Oct. 12-14 in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province. The tickets will be available at major train stations such as Seoul, Yongsan, Yeongdeungpo, Gwangmyeong, Suwon, Daejeon, Gwangju and Mokpo. If bought with KTX tickets, more discounts will be offered. KORAIL also operates trains between Yongsan and Mokpo twice each way on qualifying day, Oct. 13, and finals day, Oct. 14. For more

Sept. 28, 2012

Kyushu rail pass on sale in Korea

The Kyushu rail pass can now be purchased at major train stations in Korea, as the Korea Railroad Corporation began selling the train tickets following a contract with Japanese Railway Company this week. KORAIL offers 7 percent discounts on the rail pass, which is on sale from Sept. 25 at major train stations in Korea such as in Seoul, Yongsan, Cheongryangri, Daejeon, East Daegu and Busan. Customers can receive a discount on the JR Kyushu rail pass and those who purchased the ticket can also get

Sept. 28, 2012

More fees, less choice for air travelers

WASHINGTON (AP) ― Airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy, according to a U.S. government report released Tuesday.The U.S. airline industry is still in transition after a tumultuous decade in which bankruptcies and mergers cut the number of airlines accounting for the bulk of domestic flights in half, to just five: American, Delta, Sou

Sept. 28, 2012

KTO holds lucky draw event for Chinese shoppers

The Korea Tourism Organization is holding a lucky draw event for Chinese tourists who visit Korea during the thanksgiving holiday and the Chinese national holiday from Saturday to Oct. 7. The event titled “The Shopping Festival,” which runs through Dec. 30, features online and on-site events through which shoppers win free round-trip tickets and a hotel accommodation voucher for two persons. Those who spend more than 100,000 won can apply for the event in Myeong-dong and Shinsegae Department Sto

Sept. 28, 2012