Much to see and do in South Korea
KOREA Tourism Organization Malaysia Office (KTO Malaysia) will participate in the upcoming MATTA Fair KL, Malaysia’s biggest travel fair, at World Trade Centre (WTC) from Sept 2-4. With the popularity of the Korean wave or also known as “Hallyu”, KTO welcomes all Malaysian travellers to enjoy Korea with its beautiful mountains and oceans, colourful cities and nightscapes, dynamic culture, and delicious K-Food.
KTO Malaysia will be highlighting tourism destinations for the winter season. There will be 10 exhibitors consisting of regional tourism provinces from Korea that will participate in the travel fair to promote Korea as a tourist destination as well as to interact with the MATTA Fair visitors.
A visit to the KTO booth will be a rewarding one as visitors can get key information regarding the latest travel safety guidelines, the 100 top places to visit in Korea for 2022, Muslim-friendly travel news, Hallyu destinations and enjoy many activities at the booth with plenty of gifts to be won.
Visitors who purchase Korea packages from the Travel Agency Partners can also redeem gift redemptions from KTO booth and stand a chance to win RM200 Touch ‘n Go vouchers. There will be gift redemption for customers who purchase on site (while stocks last and terms and conditions apply):
> With purchase of Korea tour package (Full/Ground): Canvas tote bag with pouch set
> With purchase of Korea tour package inclusive of Jeju (minimum two nights’ stay): Jeju tangerine hat
> With purchase of Korea tour package inclusive of Gangwon (minimum two nights’ stay): Gangwon pouch
Activities at the event include Korea travel information booths, gift redemption for customers who purchase Korea tour packages at the venue, official KTO mascot appearances and photo sessions, complimentary Hanbok experience and VR Winter Zone.
There will also be exhibitors consisting of regional tourism provinces that will provide travel information, quiz activities and travel presentation:
> Busan Tourism Organization
> Gangwon Province
> Gyeonggi Tourism Organization
> Gyeongnam Tourism Organization (GNTO)
> Gyeongsangbuk-do > Gyeongsangbuk-do Culture & Tourism Organization (GCTO)
> Jeju Special Self-Governing Province
> Jeju Tourism Organization > Jeollabuk-do
> Seoul Tourism Organization
Destination highlights include ski resorts to spend an exciting winter in Korea.
Korea is gifted with mountain terrains and the perks of winter. In particular, Gangwon-do and the outskirt regions of Seoul are great places to enjoy winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding as they receive the most annual snowfall. Ski resorts in Korea offer slopes for a variety of skill levels, from absolute beginners to experts. Many resorts also offer night-time skiing for a full day of fun.
Yongpyong Ski Resort, Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do
The first ski resort to open in Korea, the resort’s accommodations are located nearest to the ski slopes, which make it a popular venue amongst skiers. The resort has 28 slopes to suit skiers of all levels and 14 lifts. With the resort’s high amount of annual snowfall, visitors can enjoy both an exciting ski trip and a beautiful winter getaway. Yongpyong Ski Resort hosted the alpine competitions for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.
Vivaldi Park Ski World, Hongcheon, Gangwon-do
For those who are new to winter sports, Vivaldi Park Ski World, located in Hongcheon in Gangwon Province, is only an hour plus from Seoul. Vivaldi Park provides the perfect setting to safely enjoy skiing and snowboarding. There are a variety of slopes with different inclines and distances to give new snow sport enthusiasts the perfect chance to gradually work their way up from the bunny slopes to the more advanced courses.
Vivaldi Park also has halal food and prayer room facilities, making it a Muslim-friendly accommodation.
Alpensia Ski Resort, Pyeongchang, Gangwon-do
Tucked away in the mountains at about 700m above sea level, the resort is known for its excellent snow. The resort offers six slopes with various courses for beginner, intermediate and advanced skiers and can accommodate up to 3,000 people at the same time.
Snowboarding slopes and a long-distance sledding slope are specially designed for snowboarders and visitors with family.
In particular, Foxtrot, a slope for advanced skiers, is famous for seeing exotic vista.
As the main venue for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, Alpensia Ski Resort hosted many competition events, including but not limited to ski jumping, cross-country skiing, and bobsled.
Moreover, there are many annual festivals. Here are some of the autumn and winter festivals that take place across the country:
Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm, Gyeonggi-do
Held at the Garden of Morning Calm, the Lighting Festival was the first light festival in Korea to combine the natural surroundings with lights, covering 330,000sq m.
Held from December to March, the environmental-friendly LED lights shine throughout the garden.
Busan Fireworks Festival
Busan Fireworks Festival takes place every autumn along Gwangalli Beach.
The festival’s diverse programmes of cultural events, hightech laser light shows, and myriad of unique and colourful fireworks make this one of the area’s most popular festivals, drawing crowds of over one million visitors each year. The 17th Busan Fireworks Festival will light up the night skies of Gwangalli Beach in Busan on Nov 5.
Busan One Asia Festival
Busan One Asia Festival (BOF) is a festival in Busan where worldclass K-pop stars gather. It is a party where everyone can enjoy exciting Korean music performed by famous Korean singers in the beautiful autumn evening.
The festival stage is packed with an audience looking forward to music and their favourite stars.
Aiming to be the best K-pop concert, BOF offers top performances of K-pop singers to ignite the shouts and cheers of the audience.
The City of Busan has announced that the 2022 Busan One Asia Festival will take place from Oct 27 to 30 at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, Busan Citizens Park and around the North Port. The first lineup announcement for the 2022 Busan One Asia Festival on Aug 1, 2022 included four K-pop groups. The first lineup list includes Brave Girls, AB6IX, Golden Child and Le Sserafim.
Seongsan Sunrise Festival, Jeju-do
For every Korean, greeting the first sunrise of the year is a significant event and to start a year properly, there is no better place than Jeju. Seongsan Sunrise Peak, one of the Unesco New 7 Wonders of Nature, is a place where you want to be on the last day of this year and the next morning.
The last day of the year is marked by various music performances, light shows, and fireworks. The fun is going on all night long.
Just before the sunrise, be sure to secure a good spot for the greeting of the first sun of the year.
A thousand years ago, a general was so impressed by the sunrise he saw, he named the geological formation “Sunrise Peak”. A thousand years later, you can enjoy the same magnificent view he saw then.
After seeing the first sun, you can complete your list of things to do when the New Year starts by making your first climb to the top of Sunrise Peak.
It’s an easy 20-minute one way hike but the view from the top is not less than the view from the top of the Hallasan itself.
■ For more information on South Korea, visit KTO that will be located at booths 4052-4057 and 40644069, Hall 4, at MATTA Fair from Sept 2-4 at WTC in Kuala Lumpur, from 10am to 9pm.
FOR travellers eagerly anticipating their next holiday, Holiday Tours and Travel Sdn Bhd (Holiday Tours) will be partnering with Trafalgar and Costsaver to offer some exclusive deals for the winter holidays at MATTA Fair KL this September.
The travel industry has rapidly turned around after two very turbulent years.
As travel restrictions have been mostly lifted, MATTA Fair KL in September, is expected to be a highly anticipated event among holidaymakers who are raring to travel again.
Holiday Tours will be showcasing its best deals for flight tickets, cruise holidays and also tour packages by Trafalgar and Costsaver.
A partnership that has been established for decades, Holiday Tours and Trafalgar will be joining hands to provide travel experiences with the best value for Malaysian travellers.
Since the travel industry has resumed most services, Holiday Tours is anticipating a high turnout at this year’s fair.
Colleen Lim, Marketing, Technology, Content and Customer Experience senior vice-president, noted, “We are very excited for the upcoming MATTA Fair to cater to demands that have skyrocketed since borders have fully opened. Destinations such as Italy, Switzerland, and the UK have become highly sought-after.”
Travellers looking forward to exploring Europe after the pandemic hiatus are in for a real treat.
For the upcoming winter season, Trafalgar and Costsaver are offering tour packages to popular European destinations such as Italy, Switzerland and Scandinavian countries.
For travellers who want to get into the spirit of the festive season, Trafalgar also offers a Christmas Market tour covering Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
Exclusively for MATTA Fair KL, Trafalgar will be offering up to 20% discount on tours booked through Holiday Tours.
HSBC cardholders will also be entitled to RM1,000 flight rebate when they book selected Trafalgar tours.
These deals are limited to the terms and conditions that are set by Holiday Tours and Trafalgar.
MATTA Fair KL will be taking place in the World Trade Centre from Sept 2-4, Friday to Sunday, 10am to 9pm.
Holiday Tours’ booth will be located in Hall 4.
■ For more information on Holiday Tours, visit https://www. holidaytourstravel.com/ or its Facebook: https://www.facebook. com/holidaytoursmalaysia/ and Instagram: holidaytoursmy