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CEO & Publisher: Oh Young-jinDigital News Email: webmaster@koreatimes.co.krTel: 02-724-2114Online newspaper registration No: 서울,아52844Date of registration: 2020.02.05Masthead: The Korea TimesCopyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.

Jeju Olle Route 7 among hikers' most popular courses

A scene from Route 7 of the Jeju Olle Trail on Jeju Island / Courtesy of the Jeju Olle FoundationIsland's walking trail listed among top 10 best coastal walks by UK magazine By Jun Ji-hyeHiking and walking trips have become one of the trending activities during the continued COVID-19 pandemic. According to a survey conducted by the World Trail Network, with respondents in 10 countries, 75 percent of the trails that responded have seen an increase in new trail users, such as families and young people, during the various stages of lockdowns. Some trails in North America have observed a 200 to 500 percent increase in the number of users. In a recent survey conducted by the Korea Tourism Organization, walking trails were selected as the safest travel destination as well, chosen by 50.4 percent of respondents. Walking trips have become more popular not only because the trips offer a chance to marvel at breathtaking scenery, but also because people tend to prefer quiet and less crowded destinations amid the prolonged public health crisis.The country's southern island of Jeju boasts the Jej

Apr 21, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Jeju Olle Route 7 among hikers' most popular courses

6 local accommodation recommendations for 'forest bathers'

By Jun Ji-hyeAn increasing number of tourists are seeking to enjoy “forest bathing” ― or simply being in nature ― to relax at quiet and less-crowded spots amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.In the Future of Travel survey conducted by Booking.com on 1,000 Korean travelers last year, 56 percent of the respondents said they are seeking out more rural, off-the-beaten-track experiences for their upcoming vacations.With the expectation that the number of travelers longing for activities in nature will continue to grow, the online travel platform recommended six local accommodations, based on the destinations most endorsed for “nature” among Korean travelers.WE Hotel JejuWE Hotel Jeju / Courtesy of Booking.comFor those who want to immerse themselves in the forest, the five-star WE Hotel Jeju, located in the middle of Mount Halla on the country's southern island of Jeju, is a perfect place to stay. The resort complex includes the WE Hotel Jeju and the WE Hospital, operated by the Halla Medical Foundation, pioneering a new accommodation category as the nation's first

Apr 14, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
6 local accommodation recommendations for 'forest bathers'

Hotels prepare for ban on use of disposable products next year

Local hotels are moving to change single-use bathroom amenities to multi-use pump bottles in preparation for the government's ban on use of disposable products next year. gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeLocal hotels are rushing to make preparations for the Ministry of Environment's regulation that will ban accommodations with more than 50 guest rooms from offering disposable products to guests, beginning next year. Most hotels here seem to agree with the need to reduce the use of single-use plastic products, given that hotel amenities made of and packaged in plastic contribute to environmental problems. But the question now is how hotels can change their strategies, as they have until now given their guests the chance to experience shampoo, hair conditioner and shower gel produced by luxury brands and packaged in tiny plastic bottles.Luxury hotels are moving to introduce such products in large-capacity bottles to their three-star and four-star hotel brands first. Josun Hotels & Resorts furnished the guest rooms of the Gravity Seoul Pangyo, Autograph Collection, which opened in Decemb

Apr 13, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Hotels prepare for ban on use of disposable products next year

Jeju stuck in dilemma over tourism recovery, spread of COVID-19

An Asiana Airline flight takes off Jeju International Airport, April 9. Korea Times fileA rapid growth in tourist numbers is bringing joy to and causing concern among residents of Jeju, the southern holiday island increasingly favored by locals as an alternative to overseas travel amid the COVID-19 outbreaks.Tourist arrivals on Jeju Island have rapidly recovered to pre-coronavirus levels in recent months to the delight of its tourism sector, but residents are concerned about growing COVID-19 cases among visitors.According to Jeju provincial authorities on Sunday, the number of tourists who visited Jeju last month was 880,000, nearly double from 470,000 in the same month of last year.The latest monthly tally also represented 85 percent of the pre-COVID-19 level of 1.03 million recorded for the same month in 2019. Provincial officials say Jeju's tourist arrivals were rapidly recovering to pre-pandemic levels.At the same time, however, unknown numbers of coronavirus carriers among tourists are posing a headache to both Jeju residents and quarantine officials.Eleven of 12 COVID-19 cases

Apr 11, 2021
Jeju stuck in dilemma over tourism recovery, spread of COVID-19

InterContinental launches couple package for wedding season

Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas offers the “Cupid Moments Package” featuring gifts for couples in the spring wedding season. Courtesy of Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasBy Jun Ji-hyeGrand InterContinental Seoul Parnas is presenting the “Cupid Moments Package,” specially prepared for honeymooners and couples in the spring wedding season. The hotel said all the finest gifts are featured in the package as it is meant to cater to one of the best days of a person's life. Each package provides a club-floor suite, which enables access to the Club Lounge on the hotel's top floor, while each room will be decorated with flowers by the hotel's flower team to add to the special day.Guests will find champagne and strawberry desserts in their rooms that would heighten their romantic mood at night. In addition, the package offers scalp serums from the premium French hair care brand Rene Furterer, hair massage brushes and bath products from the 130-year-old German eco-friendly beauty brand Kneipp. Top-quality couples' gowns displaying the InterContinental Hotel's logo

Apr 8, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
InterContinental launches couple package for wedding season

3 hidden gem honeymoon destinations in Korea

By Jun Ji-hyeMany soon-to-be married couples have been choosing domestic destinations for their honeymoons, while the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic places restrictions on travel to other countries. While the nation's southern resort island of Jeju, which has a great wealth of tourism assets, has become the most sought after honeymoon destination among domestic vacation spots, the Korean unit of HotelsCombined, a global hotel search engine, introduced three other unique destinations for honeymooners in a bid to provide more options.The company made the recommendations after analyzing its search data collected from last year. Geoje Island Windy Hill on Geoje Island, South Gyeongsang Province / gettyimagesbankWell-known for its beautiful scenery, the entire Geoje Island, located in South Gyeongsang Province, can be a tourist destination. Honeymooners are invited to drive the well-maintained coastal road along the vast South Sea. In particular, the 17.3-kilometer section from Hakdong to Wahyeon Beach is famous for its wonderful scenery, where a camellia forest, the dark blue sea and variou

Apr 6, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
3 hidden gem honeymoon destinations in Korea

6 stays where you can work and relax

Demand for “workcations,” defined as enjoying both work and relaxation at hotels, has been on the rise amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. gettyimagesbankBy Jun Ji-hyeThe prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has encouraged people more than ever to work from homes, hotels and other accommodations, to reduce physical contact with others.This has increased demand for “workcations,” a coined term that combines “work” and “vacation,” and is defined as enjoying both work and relaxation.Booking.com, a leading online travel platform, said its Future of Travel survey conducted last year on 1,000 Korean travelers showed that over 35 percent of respondents have already considered booking somewhere to stay in order to get some work done in a new location.Keeping in mind this evolving trend, the company has introduced a new Work-Friendly badge to highlight 4.5 million worldwide accommodations equipped with work-friendly features such as Wi-Fi and a dedicated desk space when ticking the “I'm traveling for work” option in a property search. Here

Mar 30, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
6 stays where you can work and relax

'Domestic flights departing on Tuesdays are cheapest'

Dolhareubang, a stone statue cited as a symbol of Jeju Island, stands near a beach of the resort island. Global travel search engine Kayak said the Seoul-Jeju route was the most-searched domestic route by Korean users amid continued overseas travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Courtesy of KayakBy Jun Ji-hyeTickets for domestic flights departing on Tuesdays are the cheapest compared to others, while tickets for flights departing on Fridays, when the weekend begins, are the most expensive, according to global travel search engine Kayak.The findings were the results of the company's analysis on its flight search data from Nov. 1 last year to Jan. 31.Kayak carried out the analysis as demand for domestic travel has increased due to COVID-19 pandemic-induced travel restrictions around the world.According to the data, searches for domestic flights last year increased by 11 percent compared to 2019. Korea reported its first case of COVID-19 in January last year.The company said the most-searched domestic route by users during the three-month period was the Seoul-Jeju route,

Mar 30, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
'Domestic flights departing on Tuesdays are cheapest'

'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' series planner earns presidential award

A screenshot shows the Korea Tourism Organization's promotional video series “Feel the Rhythm of Korea,” shot in Seoul. Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationBy Jun Ji-hyeOh Chung-seop, the head of the brand marketing team at the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), received a presidential award for a promotional video series, called “Feel the Rhythm of Korea.” The state-run tourism organization said Thursday that Oh received the award for planning the eccentric yet addictive tourism promotional videos, which have become a sensation both at home and abroad for their unique style since their debut in July last year. The award recognizes civil servants who have shown a proactive approach to work.Oh Chung-seop, the head of the brand marketing team at the Korea Tourism Organization, who planned the promotional video series, “Feel the Rhythm of Korea” / Courtesy of Korea Tourism OrganizationThe program, jointly hosted by the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is part of the government's “proactive public ser

Mar 18, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
'Feel the Rhythm of Korea' series planner earns presidential award

Tickled pink: destinations in Asia to enjoy cherry blossoms

Cherry blossoms in full bloom on Yeouido's Yunjungno in southern Seoul, in this photo taken on April 5, 2020 / Korea Times fileBy Jun Ji-hyeSpring has finally arrived after a long winter to herald the blooming of cherry blossoms despite continued social-distancing measures.Cherry blossoms generally sprout in mid-April, but warm weather these days has caused the flowers to bloom sooner than in previous years.Last year, the first cherry blossoms in Seoul were observed on March 27, the earliest on record. It was seven days earlier than April 3 in 2019, and 14 days earlier than the average date of April 10 between 1981 and 2010.The annual cherry blossom season gives families, friends and lovers a chance to enjoy leisurely strolls under the white-and-pink cherry blossom trees and take pictures against the blooming backdrops.This year, people may continue to be asked to refrain from visiting cherry blossom sites to stem the spread of COVID-19, but digital travel platform Agoda shared ideas of where to experience them in Asia for future travel. Korea: Seoul, JejuTourists are invited to take

Mar 18, 2021By Jun Ji-hye
Tickled pink: destinations in Asia to enjoy cherry blossoms
  • Cherry blossom season begins on Jeju Island, in southern region
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