The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization on June 15 announced discounts through July 14 on express and intercity bus ticket reservations nationwide for foreign tourists. (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism)

By Kang Gahui

A massive program of bus ticket discounts seeks to raise the convenience of foreign tourists exploring the provinces.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) on June 15 announced that the program through July 14 offers discounts on express and intercity bus fares to such visitors.

This promotion seeks to raise awareness of the online reservation system for such buses available to foreign tourists as well as improve convenience for those who wish to tour other parts of the country.

The Hong Kong-based travel platform Klook offers reservations for express buses, while Korea's Hanpass provides the same service for both express and intercity buses, each providing discounts for foreign tourists.

The KTO has a coupon worth KRW 5,000 off train tickets, Hanpass an additional KRW 4,000 of its own discount and Klook a free travel eSIM to users who use its platform to reserve fares.

The ministry said, "The number of foreign tourists in Korea between January and April this year reached an all-time high, so we will work closely with relevant agencies to create an environment where such visitors can travel across the country more conveniently."

kgh89@korea.kr