Korail, the state-run railway operator, has launched nationwide city tour programs.

In partnership with regional administrative governments and the Korea Tourism Organization, the Rail City Tour program will enable tourists to take Korail’s trains to local provincial areas and then use regional tour buses for sightseeing and shopping.

It will begin offering the tour in cities such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju, Daejeon, Ulsan, Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province and Jecheon in North Chungcheong province. 

The rail operator plans to expand the tour program to other areas.

For more information, check www.letskorail.com.

Hana Tour to hold golf match in Weihai resort

Hana Tour will be holding a golf tournament for amateurs in China’s tourist destination of Weihai, Shandong.

The 42nd Gold Challenge Tour, which will kick off on September 4 at the Weihai Point Golf & Resort, has been attracting a growing number of visitors from overseas due to its beautiful seascape.

Players will be able to see the Yellow Sea from the grounds of all holes in the golf course. 

It only takes about an hour’s flight to Weihai from Incheon International Airport.

Tourists can participate in the 54-hole match for two days, or 72-hole game for three days. For more information, check www.hanatour.com or call 1577-1233.

Air Busan launches flights to Guam


Air Busan has started offering direct flight services to the tourist island of Guam from Busan, making it the airliner’s 15th international route.

The budget airliner will be offering Busan-Guam flights four days a week on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

Air Busan flight No. BX612 will take off from Busan at 10:15 p.m. and land in Guam in the western Pacific at 3:10 in the morning the following day. Flight No. BX611 will leave the island at 4:10 a.m. and arrive in Busan at 7:10 a.m. on the same day.

The airliner will provide spacious and comfortable seats with free meals and snacks, along with in-flight entertainment during the four-hour flight for Korean travelers.

To commemorate the launch of the Busan-Guam service, Air Busan will offer tickets at special prices starting from 297,200 won. For more information, check www.airbusan.com.

Incheon Airport holds summer concert


The Incheon International Airport will hold cultural performances to help travelers beat the heat during this summer vacation season.

The “Fantastic Summer Concert” will be held from July 28 to Aug. 2 at the airport’s Millennium Hall on the first floor of its passenger terminal. The concert, which is open to all visitors for free, will be held for about 90 minutes on July 28 at 10 p.m., and at 4 p.m. on July 29 through Aug. 2. 

K-pop stars including Lena Park will hold a live-stage concert. Also, famed Baritone Kim Dong Gyu and Heart to Heart Orchestra, a symphony orchestra of music-talented youths with developmental disability, will perform together.

For those who want to enjoy the concert more conveniently, some seats can be reserved in advance through its website www.cultureport.kr/main_eng.html.
However, anyone can freely enjoy the concert in standing position if seats are not available. Concert information and seat reservation can be found at www.cultureport.kr/eng/program_view.html

Korean Pavilion at Milan Expo attracts 1m visitors

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the Korean Pavilion at the Milan Expo saw more than 1 million visitors since it opened to the public in May.

The ministry in partnership with the Korea Tourism Organization and Korean Air awarded a round-trip ticket from Milan to Incheon to the 1 millionth visitor, who came from Rome.

The ministry said that some 12,000 tourists have been visiting the Korean Pavilion a day, accounting for about 15 percent of the total visitors to the Milan Expo.

Should this momentum continue, it expects to have a total of some 20 million visitors by October.

Under the global expo’s theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life,” the Korean Pavilion has been introducing a variety of healthy Korean dishes, ranging from bibimbap (mixed rice and vegetables), galbijjim (beef rib stew) to Japchae (sweet potato noodles) and bibim-myeon (mixed noodles).