Lifestyle - The Korea Times

Agoda offers more flexible booking options with day-use feature

Seen are screenshots showing Agoda's day-use feature. / Courtesy of AgodaBy Jun Ji-hyeAgoda, one of the big-name online travel agencies, has introduced a beta version of its day-use feature available across 7,000 hotels in Korea, providing people with the flexibility to book a room for just a few hours.The new feature is expected to offer greater choice to people such as a worker who needs a quiet space with reliable internet connection to work, those who want a private room to relax and gather with their friends and loved ones, workers such as drivers who need to rest between shifts or just travelers in transit.The option is also expected to benefit accommodation providers as they can maximize their revenue by increasing occupancy around the clock and leverage the opportunity to expand their customer base with different types of day users. Users can book their desired room on the Agoda mobile app and only pay for the hours they need, but still enjoy the luxuries that come with a traditional overnight hotel stay. Users can start by searching for any destination in Korea, select the &

Aug 20, 2020

5 hotels with pools recommended for late summer vacation

By Jun Ji-hyeThe heat wave has come after the country's record-long monsoon season ended last week, offering those who have not gone on a summer vacation yet an opportunity to enjoy a late holiday.For people taking a vacation in summer, dabbling in water is one of the most refreshing things to do.According to a survey of 50,000 travelers across 29 countries conducted at the end of last year by Booking.com, 30 percent of Korean travelers and 37 percent of global travelers said having a swimming pool available at accommodations is very important for an enjoyable stay.In addition, according search data collected between July 20 and August 2 of the online hotel reservation company, Seoul ranked number 1 as the most frequently searched region by Korean users, followed by Busan, Seogwipo, Gangneung and Sokcho.Based on the data, the Amsterdam-based company recommends five hotels with pools in the top searched locations that will help travelers beat the late summer heat.Seoul ― Signiel SeoulSigniel Seoul / Courtesy of Booking.comSigniel Seoul is located between floors 76 and 101 of Lotte Wor

Aug 20, 2020

5 hotels with pools recommended for late summer vacation

No. of hotels rises 54% since 2012 on increasing Chinese tourists

gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe numbers of hotels and rooms across the country have increased 53.7 percent and 75 percent, respectively, over the past seven years, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The ministry attributed the rapid increase in the number of hotels to the government's relaxation of regulations in response to a growing numbers of Chinese travelers.The number of hotels nationwide as of the end of last year stood at 1,050, up from the 683 tallied at the end of 2012. The government eased regulations regarding the construction of hotels from July 2012 to December 2016 as the number of Chinese tourists coming to Korea had skyrocketed over that period.This increased the number of hotels by more than 100 in 2014 alone. Since then the figure has continue to rise, increasing by 70 in 2015 and 64 in 2016.The rise, however, has been slowing since 2017 due to the Chinese government's economic retaliation against the deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in Korea.At the time, Beijing claimed the THAAD deployme

Aug 19, 2020

No. of hotels rises 54% since 2012 on increasing Chinese tourists

Gov't subsidizes hotel bills to boost tourism

A woman takes a photo of her daughter at an observatory on Mount Bibong in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Jun Ji-hyeThe government will begin offering discount coupons for hotels, resorts, guest houses and motels across the nation on Friday, as part of its large-scale projects to revitalize the tourism industry hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.The projects are also aimed at helping citizens recover from mental fatigue caused by the prolonged public health crisis that has created many changes in daily life.The government decided to launch the projects on May 26 during a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun and participated in by relevant ministries, provincial governments and travel agencies. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) said governments of many other countries have already implemented a variety of projects to support the virus-hit tourism industry. For example, Japan launched the Go to Travel campaign that subsidizes people's expenses for hotels, transportation

Aug 13, 2020

Gov't subsidizes hotel bills to boost tourism

Hotel Lobby

By Jun Ji-hyeInterContinental presents the hotel's first caviar brunch The Lobby Lounge, located on the first floor of the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, is offering the hotel's first caviar-themed brunch. All the menu items of the brunch carefully incorporate Almas Osetra caviar obtained from sturgeon that have grown for 10 years or more. The menu also offers truffles and foie gras along with the caviar. Guests are invited to enjoy the weekend in the lap of luxury with the world's top three delicacies, complete with the sumptuous atmosphere offered by the Lobby Lounge's open and high ceiling.The brunch provides a course featuring French-style caviar, along with apple lime kombucha served as a welcome drink. The six-course brunch offers the finest gourmet experience with truffle choux and foie gras mousse with caviar, truffle sweet potato veloute, lobster and steak and chocolate dessert garnished with gold leaf. Also, an extra portion of caviar is served in a separate bowl alongside the meal so that gues

Aug 13, 2020

Gyeongbok Palace resumes night, royal kitchen tours

Gyeongbok Palace Starlight Tour / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage AdministrationBy Kwon Mee-yooGyeongbok Palace, the largest remaining royal palace of the 1392-1910 Joseon Kingdom in Seoul, is resuming its special nighttime and royal kitchen tours.Gyeongbok Palace was the main royal palace of Joseon, built in 1395. Spanning about 433,000 square meters in the heart of the city, the palace has had about 500 buildings over its entire history. The “Gyeongbokgung Starlight Tour,” launched in 2016, features a variety of events to enhance the unique experience. The tour begins with a traditional music performance at Sojubang, the royal kitchen where meals were prepared for the king.At Sojubang, “Doseuk Surasang,” a modern interpretation of the Joseon king's meal consisting of 12 dishes, is served during the performance.Guides lead the way to Huwon, or the “Secret Garden,” where visitors can stroll through Jipgyeongdang Hall and Hamhwadang Hall. The buildings are open exclusively for the Starlight Tour.Visitors can also step into the iconic Gyeonghoeru Pavil

Aug 12, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Gyeongbok Palace resumes night, royal kitchen tours

INTERVIEW US entrepreneur helps foreigners get plastic surgery here

ASTUTR founder Jeet DhindsaBy Park Jae-hyukSeoul has become famous as a mecca for cosmetic surgery, but many medical tourists coming from abroad are still facing difficulties when searching online for information about hospitals, due to a lack of curated reliable information written in English.ASTUTR founder Jeet Dhindsa helps international patients coming to Seoul for treatments to avoid these inconveniences.After launching the online marketplace and licensed medical tourism facilitation service, My Seoul Secret, in March 2013, the entrepreneur from San Diego has been trying to make it easy for foreigners to find the right doctors in Korea.“We specifically focus on English-speaking patients seeking to come to Korea for medical beauty treatments for the face, skin, hair, body and smile,” he told The Korea Times in a recent email interview. “We create and publish clinic information in English and provide patients with support plans based on their needs.”Dhindsa is one of the first foreigners who received the D8-4 startup visa from the Korean government. Based o

Aug 10, 2020By Park Jae-hyuk

[INTERVIEW] US entrepreneur helps foreigners get plastic surgery here

Tourism underrated as job creator, growth driver

By Edmund WongMy humble career in the tourism industry has given me the opportunity to experience some of the world's most dynamic tourism markets including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Australia and New Zealand, and exotic places such as Bangladesh and Mongolia. Yet the years spent in these markets failed to prepare me for the raw potential that is Korea's tourism sector when I first came to Jeju Island six years ago. For instance, the fact that 70 percent of Korea's land mass is covered in unspoiled mountains is a true blessing for the country's tourism industry. Korea also offers a diverse range of different landscapes including beaches, valleys, marshes and rivers all just a few short hours away from each other. Coupled with Korea's cultural charms, hospitality and some of the world's most advanced public infrastructure, the nation truly has all the ingredients to offer the world a delectable tourism feast. All this notwithstanding, the question must be asked: Is Korea living up to its full tourism potential? According to a recent OECD report issued early this year, the average co

Aug 10, 2020By Lee Hyo-sik

Tourism underrated as job creator, growth driver

Myung Won Cultural Foundation offers 'K-Tea' Festival

This undated photo shows the 2019 Myung Won World Tea Expo held at COEX in southern Seoul last August. The 2020 edition of the expo runs through Sunday at COEX. Courtesy of Myung Won Cultural FoundationBy Kwon Mee-yooKim Eui-jung, Myung Won Cultural Foundation director / Courtesy of Myung Won Cultural FoundationThe 2020 Myung Won World Tea Expo, also known as the K-Tea Festival, runs through Sunday at COEX in southern Seoul. The event, hosted by the Myung Won Cultural Foundation for 25 years, offers a variety of Korean and overseas tea brands and opportunities to experience Korea's traditional tea.This year's festival also commemorates the 100th birthday of the late Kim Mi-hee, founder of the Myung Won Cultural Foundation and wife of Ssangyong Group founder Kim Sung-gon.Kim blazed the trail in restoring Korea's traditional tea culture from the 1970s. In 1979, she held the first academic conference on Korea's traditional tea and held a presentation on traditional tea ceremonies in 1980. Kim was awarded with the Bogwan Order of Culture Merit posthumously in 2000 in recognition of her w

Aug 6, 2020By Kwon Mee-yoo

Myung Won Cultural Foundation offers 'K-Tea' Festival

Online forum mulls ways of revitalizing regional festivals

Participants discuss measures to boost regional festivals during an online forum at the Bitmaru broadcasting support center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday. The forum, hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea Tourism Organization, was streamed live via YouTube. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Jun Ji-hyeThe Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, with the Korea Tourism Organization, held an online forum to discuss measures to revitalize regional festivals, many of which have been canceled due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Thursday. The Tourism Sciences Society of Korea and the Tourism Research Institute under Hanyang University also participated in the forum that was streamed live via YouTube.The forum came as many regional communities have faced economic difficulties this year following cancellation of their festivals amid the public health crisis.Forum participants, including Choi Bo-geun who heads the ministry's tourism policy department, identified the crisis facing festivals and came up with a variety of ideas to

Aug 6, 2020

Travel & Food