The Korea Herald

Down syndrome child stopped from flying

LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- A boy with Down syndrome was prevented from boarding a plane from Newark, N.J., to Los Angeles, his outraged parents said.Bede Vanderhorst, a 16-year-old with Down syndrome, was stopped by airline officials and not allowed on the American Airlines flight he was supposed to take with his parents, Joan and Robert Venderhorst. Joan Vanderhorst began videotaping the incident on her cell phone, telling KTLA-TV, Los Angeles, she believed her son’s civil rights were violated. She a

Sept. 5, 2012

Luxury travel services lure big spenders to Korea

Travel agencies offer exclusive, customized services for very rich foreign travelersWhen Jessica Alba was spotted at a night club in Gangnam earlier this year, everyone wondered why the Hollywood star was in Korea. Photos taken at major tourist attractions in Seoul proved she was travelling with her family. Behind Alba’s stay in Seoul was a private travel service company, which arranged a private guided tour for her and her family. The service came with tour guides equipped with language skills

Aug. 31, 2012

Luxury travel services lure big spenders to Korea

‘Service quality key in luxury travel service’

Korea should upgrade the quality of its travel services in order to attract more tourists and develop the travel industry, according to Jiny Jung, head of Cosmo.Jin Tour, a company which offers premium travel services to elite travelers. “More people from other parts of the world travel long distances to come to Korea as our national status rises. Amidst this trend, we should look back at our travel service quality and think about how we can improve it to draw more people to the country,” said J

Aug. 31, 2012

‘Service quality key in luxury travel service’

KTO upgrades English travel mobile application

The Korea Tourism Organization has upgraded its English-language travel information mobile application to help foreign tourists find more detailed information on Korea. The 2.0 version of Visit Korea includes descriptions of tourist attractions, restaurants, accommodation and shopping information and directions. “With the surge in the number of smartphone users, the KTO has launched a mobile application service that will help foreign tourists explore Korea,” said a KTO official in charge of the

Aug. 31, 2012

German Tourist Board launches new ‘Top 100’ mobile app

The German National Tourist Board has launched its “Top 100” mobile app to help tourists discover the country’s most popular tourist attractions. The GNTB’s first mobile application for iOS and Android devices feature descriptions of attractions in Germany’s 16 states, mobile coupons to the attractions as well as real-time news about Germany. “The Top 100 will strengthen communication with our visitors and raise Germany’s profile as a travel destination around the world,” said Petra Hedorfer, ch

Aug. 31, 2012

Western Australia Tourism presents wild flower travel package

The Western Australia Tourism Board presents a wild flower travel package available for purchase at four travel agencies: Mode Tour, Very Good Tour, Hanjin Travel and Lotte JTB. Western Australia boasts about 15,000 flower species and a dazzling landscape with lush scents and colors from September to November, attracting tourists, photographers and flower experts every year to see the spectacular scenes. The eight-day travel package which starts at 3.2 million won includes round-trip airline tic

Aug. 31, 2012

Conflict decimates Syria tourism: official report

DAMASCUS (AFP) ― Tourism in Syria has been decimated by more than 17 months of deadly conflict, with hotel rooms once let to foreigners now often occupied by people who are refugees in their own country, official figures show.Revenue from tourism has plummeted 75.4 percent since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s rule erupted, the prime minister’s office was quoted as saying by the government daily Tishrin on Wednesday.A government study showed that tourism generated just 12.8 bill

Aug. 31, 2012

San Diego’s North County more than just a pretty face

SAN DIEGO ― Maybe you’ve always suspected that there was more to San Diego’s North County than beach towns, rolling hills, expat giraffes and a walled kingdom of brightly colored plastic. But frankly, they had me at beach towns.I always figured the rest ― even the two marquee attractions, Legoland in Carlsbad and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park near Escondido ― was just gravy. Or icing on the cake. Or maybe, given San Diego’s love of beer, the chaser after the pint.But now I’ve spent several days

Aug. 31, 2012

San Diego’s North County more than just a pretty face

Whale vomit worth 72 million won found by schoolboy

English schoolboy Charlie Naysmith, 8, found a 600-gram chunk of ambergris, the official name for whale vomit, while walking along the beach near Bournemouth, England, according to news reports. Ambergris is yellowish beige, feels waxy, and exudes a sweet perfume. Years of floating and exposure to the sun and salt turns the vomit into what looks like smooth rock. Perfume makers highly sought ambergris years ago because it helps prolong the scent of perfumes. Nowadays, perfume makers substitute t

Aug. 31, 2012

Sheraton Macao Hotel to open in September

Sheraton Macao Hotel will open on Sept. 20 in Macau’s new resort complex, Sands Cotai Central, the Starwood Hotels and Resorts said.The company said the 3,863-room Sheraton Macau Hotel will be both the largest hotel in Macau and Starwood’s largest hotel.The hotel features an extensive selection of guest room categories, all offering the hotel’s signature Sheraton Sweet Sleeper queen- and king-sized beds, 42-inch LCD TV, a refreshment center and spacious bathrooms. Restaurants offer a diverse arr

Aug. 24, 2012

Singapore Grand Prix to open in September

One of the Asia’s biggest sports and entertainment festivals “Grand Prix Season Singapore” will be held during the Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix from Sept. 21-23. Singapore is one of the 20 cities where Formula One Grand Prix is held this year. Various events are planned along with the Grand Prix event including concerts featuring top singers such as American rock band Maroon 5, American singer Katy Perry and Chinese actor Jay Chou. For more information, visit www.singaporegp.sg.

Aug. 24, 2012

Cancun Palace Hotel rebranded as Hard Rock Hotel Cancun

Hard Rock Hotel in the resort city of Cancun, Mexico, opened in August, following the rebranding of Cancun Palace Hotel. The hotel with 601 rooms features a luxurious interior themed around rock ‘n’ roll and a beautiful view of Cancun’s famous white-sand beaches. The hotel offers all-inclusive services featuring convention centers, a bar and lounge, an outdoor swimming pool and five restaurants including its newly opened Brazilian steak house. For more information, visit www.hardrockhotels.com/a

Aug. 24, 2012

Alaska Tourism Board opens Korean website

The Alaska Tourism Board launched its official Korean website this week to introduce famous tourist destinations, transportation and accommodation information as well as offer detailed information on travel spots frequently visited by Korean tourists. Korean visitors to the website can order a copy of the Alaska guide book in Korean for free. Travel agencies and media can also download free online newsletter and images after going through a simple registration process. For more information, visi

Aug. 24, 2012

Israeli biblical park outfits donkeys with Wi-Fi

HOSHAYA, Israel (AP) ― It was nothing like this 3,000 years ago.An Israeli attraction meant to immerse tourists in an authentic, ancient biblical experience has outfitted its donkeys with wireless routers.At the historical park of Kfar Kedem in northern Israel, visitors decked out in biblical robes and headdresses ride donkeys through the rolling hills of the Galilee, learning how people lived in Old Testament times.Now they can also surf the web while touring the land of the Bible on one of the

Aug. 24, 2012

Israeli biblical park outfits donkeys with Wi-Fi

Montenegro travel: Diamond in the rough

TIVAT, Montenegro (AP) ― A newly developed luxury resort village called Porto Montenegro may finally be helping Montenegro’s image catch up with its overly glamorous portrayal in the 2006 James Bond film “Casino Royale.” Porto Montenegro ― sometimes called the Monte Carlo of the Adriatic ― has upgraded this tiny Balkan state from a favorite destination of average Russian and Serbian tourists to a mecca for some of the world’s wealthiest people.Located on the southern corner of the Adriatic Sea,

Aug. 24, 2012

Google buying Frommer’s travel guides from Wiley

HOBOKEN, New Jersey (AP) ― Google is buying the Frommer’s brand of travel guides.Google Inc., which bought the Zagat restaurant review service in September, plans to use Frommer’s guides to hotels and destinations around the world to complement the Zagat listings.Google is buying Frommer’s from publisher John Wiley & Sons Inc. in a deal that includes John Wiley’s other travel-related businesses. Financial terms were not disclosed in Monday’s announcement.Frommer’s got its start in 1957 with the

Aug. 17, 2012

Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui to hold annual World Gourmet Festival

The luxury resort in Thailand will hold the annual World Gourmet Festival on Sept. 10 with award-winning American celebrity chef Michael Mina.Mina will present a special dinner course to the selected 25 customers. The dinner course will consist of modern American cuisine paired with top wines. The resort also offers a special accommodation package at the luxury villa with a private pool, breakfast for two and two tickets to Mina’s special dinner for tourists coming for the gourmet festival. For

Aug. 17, 2012

KTO publishes traditional market guide book in Chinese

The Korea Tourism Organization has published a traditional market guide book for Chinese tourists as part of its efforts to revitalize tourist visits to traditional markets in Seoul.The guide book focuses on Gwangjang market, Tongin market and Gongdeok market and suggests interesting experiences available there through a format based on SBS’ famous entertainment show “Running Man.” The book consists of different missions that can be completed by visiting food vendors or different stores.

Aug. 17, 2012

KORAIL holds vacation package contest

Korea Railroad Corporation will hold a vacation package contest for college students to come up with creative vacation packages and a better way to promote the rail company. University students can apply for three categories ― vacation packages ideas, video promotion for KORAIL and poster promotion. Entries for the contest are open till Sept. 2 at www.korail.com.Winners will be announced on Sept. 12 on the website. Winners will receive awards of 1 million won, 500,000 won and 300,000 won in the

Aug. 17, 2012

Visitors come to Mount Airy for Mayberry

MOUNT AIRY, North Carolina (AP) ― In the town of Mayberry from “The Andy Griffith Show,’’ a small-town sheriff and his trusty deputy always outwitted big-city crooks, and problems never got much bigger than a trigger-happy kid with a slingshot. But while Mayberry was fiction, it was inspired by a real place: Mount Airy, North Carolina, the late Andy Griffith’s hometown. And more than a half-century after the series first aired, fans are still coming to Mount Airy, looking for a glimpse of small-

Aug. 17, 2012

Visitors come to Mount Airy for Mayberry