The Korea Herald

KORAIL invites passengers to music festival

Jul 6, 2012

Korea Railroad Corporation will invite passengers who are selected in a random lottery to the 2012 Ultra Music Festival Korea, which will take place on Aug. 3-4. The train passengers can apply for the concert at www.korail.com until July 15. Winners will get two tickets per person. The UMF Korea is a world-famous electronic music festival started in the U.S. It holds performances featuring top international DJs including Tiesto, Carl Cox, Skrillex and Steve Aoki. Winners will be announced on Jul
New York City loves its High Line, the trail in the sky

Jul 6, 2012

NEW YORK ― It is a new and still-growing trail.It’s not long: Just 1 mile, or 19 blocks.Welcome to the High Line Trail in the heart of New York City. It is known by some as the “Miracle Above Manhattan” and “The Trail in the Sky.”The rail line-turned-trail sits 30 feet above the crowded streets on Manhattan’s Lower West Side. It’s gotten a lot of ink because it is a distinctive urban trail. There’s even a hardcover book about its short history.It is an expensive trail: $153 million and rising. B
Maui is king of ‘best beach’ list

Jul 6, 2012

In a nation of more than 300 million people, a small county in the Pacific Ocean that’s home to just over 155,000 people has nearly a quarter of the country’s best beaches.Maui is called “The Valley Island,” but in most travelers’ minds, its beaches are synonymous with the Hawaiian island. In the annual “Best Beach” contest held since 1991, Maui has won four times ― five, if you want to stretch the definition of Maui. Maui County includes the islands of Molokai and Lanai. A beach on Lanai was th
Conference to seek new frontiers in Korean tourism

Jul 3, 2012

The annual international tourism conference kicks off Wednesday in Ulsan, gathering international and domestic tourism experts and highlighting recent tourism trends. More than 100 foreign participants including chief editors of major tourism journals ― Rick Perdue of Journal of Travel Research and former editor-in-chief of Annals of Tourism Research Jafar Jafari among them ― are attending the 72nd conference organized by the Tourism Sciences Society of Korea.Local participants include TOSOK pre
Talking Turkey: When shopping Istanbul, you’ll meet the masters of an ancient art

Jun 29, 2012

ISTANBUL, Turkey ― The first rule of shopping in the centuries-old markets of Istanbul is this: The asking price is merely a suggestion. In fact, it’s barely a suggestion. A price is equivalent to a declaration that a merchant is open for business. But you will not pay that number, and he ― it is always a he ― does not expect you to.The second rule is to walk away, because the mere act of turning is the most effective method of chipping away at that price. Merchants expect you to walk away, and
Creative, relaxed Berlin is ‘new cool kid on the block’

Jun 29, 2012

Berlin offers a unique travel experience combining relaxation, entertainment in both the classical and wild sense and a good shopping experience, all at fair and reasonable prices, says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of the Berlin Tourism Board. “If you want to see romantic life and edgy, high-tech life, come to Berlin. Berlin is Europe’s capital of cool as Times magazine puts it. We are a new cool kid on the block,” Kieker said in an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday. Berlin is the third most f
Two local hotels become BENIKEA hotel members

Jun 29, 2012

Swiss Rosen Hotel in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, and Jazz Around Hotel in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, joined the Benikea chain hotel group, certified by the Korea Tourism Organization. Benikea chain hotels are a group of reasonably priced hotels in Korea whose services are approved by the state tourism agency. Swiss Rosen Hotel located in the Bomun Tourism Complex of Gyeongju has 55 rooms decorated with Mediterranean-inspired designs. It also features a restaurant overlooking the fam
Travel Advisor opens Korean website

Jun 29, 2012

The global travel information website Travel Advisor has launched its Korean website. The Korean-language website assists travelers in gathering information when planning trips in Korea as well as to foreign countries. Trip Advisor offers reliable travel information based on reviews written by more than 60 million tourists worldwide. According to Jason Chung, country director for Korea, the Korean website has seen a great increase in the number of page views for accommodation facilities ― 137 pe
National Park Service offers summer programs

Jun 29, 2012

Korea National Park Service has recommended family-friendly camping sites and various summer programs throughout the 19 national parks in the country. The KNPS lists 37 camping sites, including two on Jiri Mountain and one on Taean Beach, where visitors can book a spot in advance online. Other camping sites at Seorak Mountain, Odae Mountain and Deokyu Mountain and six other mountains are available to visitors on a first-come, first-served basis at the site. The park service also introduced vario
Korail offers 42 percent discount on airport train

Jun 29, 2012

Korea Railroad Corporation said they will offer a big discount on airport train fares from July to December. Now that the entire airport line is completed, Korail is offering a 42-percent discount on the 13,800 won one-way ticket. With the discount, it costs 8,000 won for a trip from Incheon International Airport to Seoul Station. The airport train, which has eight stops between the airport to the city center, takes 53 minutes to get to Seoul Station while the airport express, which has no stops
Hyatt Regency Incheon: Place for business travelers

Jun 28, 2012

Hyatt Regency Incheon has become a major gateway hotel to Seoul and Korea as it is located close to Incheon International Airport. The hotel offers a unique blend of warm hospitality, convenient facilities and a variety of culinary experiences, featuring meeting rooms, soundproofed guestrooms, health and fitness facilities and restaurants. For business travelers, the hotel has a spacious pillar-less Grand Ballroom, a Regency Ballroom and multi-purpose rooms, which cater to different meetings and
Oakwood Premier COEX Center offers photography contest

Jun 28, 2012

Oakwood Premier Coex Center invites those who would like to share their travel memories with others to its photography competition with a chance to win a trip to an Oakwood hotel in Asia and a digital camera. The hotel is holding a “Most Memorable Travel” photography contest in which the grand prize winner will have chance to fly to a city of his or her choice and stay at an Oakwood serviced apartment and get a Nikon 1J1 digital camera. Submission deadline is Sept. 15 and after that, images will
Asiana goes extra mile

Jun 28, 2012

Three-year golden grand slammer Asiana Airlines has always gone the extra mile to match the ever-changing expectations and needs of its customers.This summer the award-winning company will offer a series of savory dishes to keep customers healthy from July 1 to Aug. 31. The specialty cuisine includes “samgyetang,” or chicken broiled with premium medicinal herbs; steamed samgye, samgye porridge with hwanggi herb; ginseng-bulgogi with vegetables on the side; and “12-chogyetang,” a cold-broiled chi
Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas excels in service

Jun 28, 2012

For three consecutive years since 2010, Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas has been awarded in Korea’s Best Brand Awards for top quality amenities and service. It has also scored the highest in Korea’s quality service measurement index KS-SQI for four years. The hotel has also successfully hosted international events such as the ASEM Conference in 2000, G20 Seoul Summit in 2010 and Nuclear Security Summit in 2012. The hotel conducts random online surveys of guests to evaluate service and mainta
Somerset Palace Seoul offers comforts of home

Jun 28, 2012

Somerset Palace Seoul provides each resident the comfort felt at home in a family-friendly environment.Located in the heart of Seoul’s diplomatic and business district, the residence is within walking distance of major subway stations such as Anguk, Jonggak and Gwanghwamun and government agencies and companies as well as tourist attractions and shopping places. Whether on a business trip or on holiday with family, Somerset offers both luxurious experience and comfort. Somerset’s apartments vary