Visitors from Southeast Asia on Dec. 11 learn how to ski at Yongpyong Resort in Pyeongchang-gun County, Gangwon-do Province. (Yonhap News)

By Margareth Theresia

Ski tourism targeting foreign tourists will be resumed after being suspended due to COVID-19.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on Dec. 13 said ski tour groups with a combined 82 people from Hong Kong and Taiwan will arrive in Korea on Dec. 14 for a four-day stay. 

They will stay at two ski facilities in Gangwon-do Province: Yongpyong Resort in Pyeongchang-gun County (fun ski) and High1 Ski Resort in Jeongseon-gun County (go-go ski). In addition to receiving skiing lessons and freely hitting the slopes, they will also watch Hallyu concerts and play traditional folk games. 

This tour package will be offered seven times from this month through March.

The KTO along with Gangwon-do Provincial Office invited 16 tourism agency staff and online influencers to promote tourism in Korea in Taiwan and will host a familiarization tour from Dec. 13-17. The group will take part in the fun ski program of the Yongpyong resort, visit nearby tourist attractions, and discuss with the program organizers marketing and development of tourism programs to attract Taiwanese tourists with the reopening of the flight route connecting Yangyang-gun County in the province with Taipei.

You Jin-ho, executive director of the KTO's Tourism Product Development Department, said, "Starting with this program, we plan to attract about 4,000 foreign ski tourists through March next year," adding, "To mark 'Visit Korea Year 2023-24,' we will also strive to attract not only ski tourists but those for other outdoor sports like cycling and trekking."

margareth@korea.kr