Korea Grand Sale Starts Today
Foreigners visiting South Korea today until the end of October will be in for plenty of wonderful treats, as the country celebrates 70th Liberation Day tomorrow. The big celebration starts today, kickstarted by the Korea Grand Sale.
Choi Kyung-hwan, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance, has met with economic and finance ministries. According to him, "Now that conditions to normalize the local tourism industry are shaping up, we are pushing to gain more momentum to start a trend of visiting Korea".
What's in store for holidaymakers and tourists?
The big sale, which is under Visit Korea Committee and usually takes place in winter, begins several months early to improve the tourism industry - one of the sectors greatly affected by the MERS outbreak. With this in mind, expect to find lots of wonderful deals until October 31.
This year, one of the nation's biggest events presents foreigners with nearly 30,000 participating retailers, stores and companies; that's more than four times the number of businesses who took part in the first sale in 2011. The 2015 sale includes duty-free shops, department stores, hospitality establishments (such as hotels and restaurants), and electronics and communications providers. This means a whopping amount of discounts, freebies and amazing bargains waiting!
But will the effort pull through?
Travel operators and airline companies make sure it does by offering tourists deals they won't be able to resist. The country's biggest budget-friendly carrier Jeju Air, for one, has given up to 80% discounts on overseas flights from routes like China, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. A trip from Qingdao to Incheon costs only 690 yuan ($107), while from Tokyo to Incheon costs only 7,240 yen ($58). Other participating companies include Korean Railroad Corporation and Asiana Airlines.
The long celebration will also promote Korea's traditional and modern culture, wherein national museums and celebrities will offer free or discounted presentations.
Visit Korea Committee's secretary general, Han Kyung-ah, has spoken during a press conference. "We are opening the doors of museums that currently offer foreign language services to foreigners during the sale period, and we will continue working with related government offices to set up such services so that we can provide more opportunities for foreigners who want to visit a variety of museums and cultural venues".
This is good news for tourists looking forward to cultural immersion. The best time to visit national museums is in September and October, specifically on the last Wednesdays because admission will be free. Those who wish to see their favorite celebrity or K-pop group perform can look into concert schedules.
Get updates on the Korea Grand Sale on its Facebook page.
