FEATURE KOREA
Key attractions include the N Seoul
Tower, built on a 262-metre peak in Namsan Park with great views over the city, and Gyeongbokgung Palace, which was built six centuries ago by the founder of the Chosun Dynasty and today houses both the National Museum of Korea and the National Folk Museum. Insadong, a seemingly never-ending
street with lots of side alleys, is the place to go for an eclectic line-up attractions such as tea shops, yoga classes and cultural souvenirs like artwork and various handmade items. Increasingly, visitors who have
experienced Seoul as a city-break option are returning to explore more of the country, or staying longer in Seoul itself. Relations with neighbouring North
Korea deteriorated in 2010 when the two countries exchanged military fire near their Yellow Sea border, but the situation has been relatively calm since and visits to the Demilitarised Zone – the no man’s land between the two Koreas – remain very popular. Korean cuisine, which has gained popularity and worldwide renown in recent years, is another draw for many visitors. There are cooking lessons for those hoping to recreate the flavours at home and a myriad of restaurants or
Clockwise from left: the changing of the guard; Myeongdong, a shopping district of Seoul; Hangjeongsik, or a full-course Korean meal
KOREA Top Selling Tips...
• Good things in small packages: “As a small country with diverse attractions, you can really get a feel for South Korea with a three-night stopover in Seoul or seven or eight nights travelling from Seoul through to Busan, so it’s easily combined with other Asian destinations or as a stopover on trips to Australia and New Zealand” YAOW BUTWISATE-LOK, Far East product manager, Cox & Kings
• Eats and treats: “Korean cuisine is worth exploring and learning about, with its sumptuous array of cool and spicy pickles, richly aromatic barbeques, and boldly flavoured spicy stews” ANDREA GODFREY, General manager at Regent Holidays
• Going local “One insider's tip is to visit a city centre market at lunchtime and join the locals sitting at trestle tables, for huge plates of steaming seaweed soup and ginseng chicken” MALCOLM DAVIES, Product manager, South Korea at Funway Holidays
market stalls where Korean food can be enjoyed with the locals. With the glut of international
events planned for the country, there’s probably never been a better time to sell Korea as a Far East 'alternative'.
What’s New Several tour operators are featuring Korea for the first this year, including Sport Abroad for the Grand Prix and On the Go Tours, which has four separate itineraries. With Pyeongchang due to host the Winter Olympics in 2018, Gangwon-do Province will see a lot of development in coming years. Old Seoul Station recently reopened as a cultural complex, called ‘Seoul 284 Cultural Station.’ The Cotswold Way is now twinned
with Jeju Olle Trail, a long-distance walking route around Jeju Island. Korea Rail passes can now be bought
in the UK from International Rail (
www.internationalrail.com). The Korea Tourism Organisation
in the UK has launched a new website,
www.gokorea.co.uk, which features links to social media sites
Tourism Talk
HONG-KI KIM director, Korea Tourism Organisation, UK “Many things make Korea
unique, but most obviously the fact
www.sellinglonghaul.com • October 2011 53
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL BY ANNA MARIA
ESPSÄTER "Jeonju Cultural Centre is situated in the most traditional and arguably most scenic part of South Korea, Jeollabuk-do Province, in the southwest. Visitors to the centre are offered a
very hands-on Korean experience and I was here to get a better grasp of Korean culture for an afternoon. First up on my list of activities was a one-hour traditional drumming lesson, which had a very enthusiastic young woman trying to teach three different drum beats, while shouting in Korean. After this somewhat loud challenge to
my coordination skills, it was time for the traditional wedding. Suddenly I was set to marry a perfect stranger from St. Louis. Soon we were both decked out in traditional garb, looking fabulous, if slightly uncomfortable. As if all this excitement wasn't enough,
we also had a bibimbap demonstration, before cooking our own version of this rice-based dish. Sitting down to a wonderful foodie feast that evening, I felt I’d truly earned it and learned lots about South Korea in the process."
ALL IMAGES © KNTO
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