Annual Shopping Festival for Foreign Tourists Kicks Off

Foreign tourists get information on the Korea Grand Sale at an information center in Seoul on Jan. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s annual winter shopping festival for foreign tourists kicked off its 45-day run on Thursday.

Korea Grand Sale 2020 will run until Feb. 29, offering foreign visitors discounts at some 1,100 retailers and service providers across the country, a record high number.

Along major tourist routes across South Korea, the participating companies will provide discounts on accommodations, goods, transportation, food, museums and amusement park tickets for foreign tourists.

The events include special admissions to major K-pop programs, such as the annual “M Countdown” TV show by K-pop channel Mnet and the Seoul Music Awards set for January.

Eight Korean air airlines, including Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, will provide up to 95-percent discounts on some 100 flight routes to South Korean cities during the festival, while discounts on land transportation services will also be available for tourists from outside of the country.

Some 300 hotels across South Korea will also join the festival, providing up to 80-percent discounts, according to the committee.

The annual shopping event has been held since 2011.

(Yonhap)