Korea Grand Sale benefits tourists during Olympics

International tourism ambassadors for Korea, from left, Lin Wanling, Phatthararawee Bausuwan, Miyoko Omomo and Star Lengas pose at the PyeongYang Pavilion in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Jan. 24. /Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

By Kim Jae-heun

Since 2012, Korea has attracted over 10 million foreign tourists annually with the growth rate rising an average 12.6 percent each year. Around 17,240,000 tourists visited Korea in 2016 alone, the highest number of visitors here ever recorded.

To develop the country as an attractive tourist destination, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism founded the Visit Korea Committee in 2008 to launch a new campaign “Visit Korea Year 2010 _ 2012,” providing benefits in various sectors such as flights, accommodation, shopping, entertainment and food under the title “Korea Grand Sale.”

The Visit Korea Committee began its sales promotion this year from Jan. 18 and with nearly 195,000 foreigners expected to visit during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the campaign offers a wide range of benefits for foreign tourists in Seoul, and Gangwon Province where the sports festival will be held.

Taiwanese tourism ambassador Lin Wanling poses with the Olympic Torch displayed at the PyeongChang Pavilion in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Jan. 24. /Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

The tourism organization has invited four foreign influencers from the United States, Thailand, Taiwan and Japan to promote the Korea Grand Sale and the Winter Olympics _ following a five-day trip here _ on their social network services platforms. The four took part in a competition with 2,000 entrants in an online event to recruit ambassadors for Korean tourism. They stayed at the L7 Hotel in Gangnam and took a K-Travel Bus to Gangneung in Gangwon Province. Gangneung is where the Olympics ice sports events such as figure and speed skating will be held.

Seoul offers many free gifts for foreign shoppers

The four ambassadors _ Phatthararawee Bausuwan, or Bestie, from Thailand, Star Lengas from the United States, Miyoko Omomo from Japan and Lin Wanling from Taiwan, picked Seoul as their favorite Korean city. Although Korea has became one of the most favored destinations to visit in Asia over the last five years, the four influencers think the country has more to promote about Seoul as the city is still unknown to many people outside Asia.

“I lived in Korea for three years and Korea has so many attractive tourist sites that many American can fall in love with,” said Lengas during an interview with The Korea Times, last week. “Still, I feel that more people from the West should come to Korea and tour around Seoul if it is their first time here. If you are visiting Korea for the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, you should definitely come to see Seoul in between or after the Games.”

International tourism ambassadors for Korea, from left, Star Lengas, Lin Wanling, Phatthararawee Bausuwan and Miyoko Omomo pose at the Korea Grand Sale main event center run by the Visit Korea Committee in Dongdaemun, Seoul, Jan. 26. /Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

The ambassadors began their Seoul tour at Seoul Sky, the 117th floor observation deck of Lotte World Tower with a panoramic view of the city. The platform is opens to the public up to the 123rd floor and people can see the whole city on a glass floor 478 meters off the ground. They next went to an aquarium located in the same building that adopts 13 themes from five major oceans, where they saw rare white beluga whale.

The four ambassadors also went shopping at Doota Mall in Dongdaemun, and participated in the “Golden Shopping Bag” event, where they were given a mission to use a 30,000-won coupon within 20 minutes. Omomo won the first place by spending the closest to 30,000 won on beauty products _ popular items among Japanese tourists.

Foreigners who show a receipt showing they have spent 50,000 won get a chance to participate in a lucky draw event to pick one of four colored balls that have numbers written on them signifying coupons worth 30,000 won, 50,000 and 100,000 won. If they buy any item at Doota Mall within plus or minus 20 percent of a coupon value in 20 minutes, they can have them all.

American tourism ambassador Star Lengas, left and Thai ambassador Phatthararawee Bausuwan make bibimbap, a traditional Korean dish at Jeonggangwon Restaurant in Gangwon Province, Jan. 25. /Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

The Visit Korea Committee operates four Event Centers including the main one in Dongdaemun and the others in Myeongdong, Hongdae and Namsan. Foreign tourists who visit at least two of the four receive a free gift.

Those who spent over 300,000 won will get a chance to open a box containing a 40 gram gold medal during the Korea Grand Sale event that ends Feb. 28.

There are many more prizes such as free ride to Gangneung or discounts for accommodation.

Gangneung has beautiful winter sea

The four ambassadors traveled to four popular touristic attractions in Gangwon Province _ PyeongChang Pavilion in Gangneung, Pheonix Park, Ojukheon and Woljeong Temple. Lengas, who is new to eastern style temple architectures, found Ojukheon and Woljeong interesting.

“Ojukheon has a very local style of architecture, which can only be found in Korea. I hope foreigners get to stop by here in between the sports events,” Lengas said.

International ambassadors for Korean tourism visit Ojukheon in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Jan. 24. /Courtesy of Visit Korea Committee

Bestie picked Coffee Street near Anmok Beach as her favorite destination in Gangneung.

“There are many beautiful beaches in Thailand but the Korean sea has something special. Maybe it’s because it is winter here now and there is no winter in Thailand. Thai people will love the winter sea too,” Bestie said.

Making bibimbap allowed the four to witness and experience making Korean food on their own. It helped them to learn Korea’s slow eating culture.

The four influencers posted online pictures and “essays” on the tourist attractions they visited, which the Visit Korea Committee hopes will attract more tourists, particularly from China, Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand and India.