Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas and InterContinental Seoul Coex have both acquired EarthCheck Gold status, a global environmental certification. The hotel said that it was the first to obtain the Gold Level in Korea. The certificate is managed by the global environmental advisory EC3 Global. The hotel has been making conservation efforts since 1989, working to reduce waste, set energy conservation goals and encourage guests to participate in its efforts. All food waste from the hotels is sen

Accor Ambassador Hotel Management has opened a new budget hotel in Dongdaemun, close to downtown attractions. The Ibis Budget Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun is located in the bustling district of Dongdaemun, within walking distance of the Dongdaemun Design Plaza and various shopping malls. The hotel has 195 twin, double and triple rooms. It offers free access to Wi-Fi in the lobby and guest rooms. The hotel is equipped with a sauna and a fitness club and has an all-you-can-eat buffet. Located close

HAGATNA, Guam (AP) ― United Airlines has launched daily direct flights between South Korea and Guam for the first time, serving a market that helped boost Guam’s tourism industry when the number of visitors from Japan declined. “As Guam’s hometown airline, we are delighted to bring additional economic benefits to our tourism industry and further expand the extensive route network from our Guam hub,” said Sam Shinohara, United’s managing director for business development in the Asia-Pacific.Unite

South Korea reaped a record income from tourism in September, assisted by a solid increase in Chinese tourists, data showed Thursday.Tourism income reached US$1.76 billion last month, breaking the $1.7 billion mark for the first time. The total marks a 35-percent jump from the previous year, according to the data by the central bank and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute.The record figure was largely credited to an increase in travelers from China. Some 564,078 Chinese tourists visited the

Finnair announced it would offer “economy comfort” seats with an extra 10 centimeters of legroom, a more comfortable headrest, higher-quality headphones and an amenity kit of socks, a sleeping mask, a toothbrush and tooth paste. The seats with extra room will be available from Dec. 15 on international flights for an additional 40 to 60 Euros ($50 to $76) for a one-way ticket. Finnair will have eight economy comfort seats on flights between Incheon and Helsinki. Seats with extra room are availabl

PYONGYANG (AP) ― Pyongyang isn’t exactly an international travel hub. But attracting more tourists is one of North Korea’s top agenda items, so thousands of soldier-builders are working feverishly these days to give the capital a fancy new airport. The new airport, which is now in its final stages, is the latest of North Korea’s “speed campaigns,” mass mobilizations of labor shock brigades aimed at finishing top-priority projects in record time. Dressed in hard hats and brown or olive green unif

The Korea Tourism Organization released a Korean travel mobile application for Chinese tourists traveling independently in Korea. The app features a Korea map in Chinese, directions, and public transportation and shopping information such as the opening hours of major shopping places as well as discount coupons.The mobile app targets the growing number of Chinese tourists in Korea, which are expected to reach some 5.8 million by the end of the year. Chinese arrivals have already reached 42 perce

North Korea will close its borders to foreign tourists on Friday due to Ebola fears, travel agencies said, as the number of people that have contracted the deadly virus nears 10,000 in West Africa.   Three travel agencies specialising in North Korean tours, two of them based in China, issued statements Thursday informing clients that the country was closing itself to tourists until further notice because of the threat of the disease.   It was unclear whether the ban also applied to business and

SINGAPORE (AFP) ― International visitor arrivals to Singapore fell 3 percent in the first half of this year, hurt by a 30 percent drop in tourists from China, official data showed Wednesday.Singapore’s tourism board said overall arrivals totaled 7.5 million in the six months to June, with second-quarter numbers dipping by a sharper 6 percent.Travelers from China totaled 871,000 in the first half, almost a third fewer than from the same period last year, the board said.It said that a tourism law

Sheraton Incheon Hotel was named “South Korea’s Leading Business Hotel” for four years in a row by the World Travel Awards. The title is based on votes cast by some 500,000 industry professionals, travel agencies, tour and transport companies, and tourism organizations throughout the world. Established in 1993, the World Travel Awards ― dubbed the “Oscars” of the tourism and hospitality industry ― has been regarded as the most prestigious tourism award. Sheraton Incheon Hotel, located in the int