Travel in South Korea

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) 2024 Economic Impact Research (EIR) predicts a remarkable year for Travel & Tourism in South Korea, with significant growth in its economic contribution, employment, and visitor spending. According to the latest data, the sector’s contribution to the national economy is expected to reach a record ₩96.2TN this year, representing a 13.6% year-on-year increase. This contribution underscores the sector’s crucial role, accounting for 4.3% of the nation’s economy.

The cause of the fatal plane crash in South Korea last month is still to be determined, but it thrust into the spotlight a subject little understood by the general public: how airplanes are maintained.

Jan 15, 2025 • 7 min read

Asia is an amazing region of the world: known for its breadth of diverse food traditions and ancient history, it’s no wonder many younger adventurers are particularly interested in visiting. 

Alaska Airlines will offer travelers three new nonstop ways to visit its namesake state next summer, including a new longest route for its smallest jet.

Jan 12, 2025 • 8 min read

Just before Christmas, I was about halfway through my SAS EuroBonus million-mile challenge that had me traveling for 25 days on 20 flights with 15 different SkyTeam airlines. Along the way, I visited 16 countries in order to earn the ultimate prize: 1 million SAS EuroBonus miles.

Azamara is out with another epic world cruise itinerary — and this one is currently one of the cruise industry's longest.

Singapore has the most powerful passport in the world for 2025, claiming the top spot with more easy access than any other country.

I’d been riding my Royal Enfield Classic 350 motorcycle out in the Korean countryside for about six months, the entirety of my riding experience, when I decided it was time to go on my first long-distance motorcycle trip. My partner and I filled our bikes’ side bags with our sleeping bags and camping chairs, tied the tent and our backpacks to the passenger seats, and set off on our coast-to-coast adventure on Korea’s old town mountain roads.

United Airlines is one step closer to bringing free WiFi to its planes.

Taiwan's digital nomad visa launched on 1 January 2025 as the country seeks to attract more professional talent from overseas.

2024 has fanned the flames of worries over flying, particularly in recent weeks, when more than 200 people lost their lives in two separate incidents just days apart.

The Boeing plane that crashed in South Korea on Sunday, killing 179, has a remarkable safety record.

Not even a week into 2024, it became clear that aviation safety would be a major theme of the year.

Alaska Airlines’ footprint is growing both domestically and internationally.

I'm doing the SAS EuroBonus million-mile challenge. In total, the challenge will consist of me traveling for 25 days on 18 flights and visiting 15 different countries on 15 different SkyTeam airlines in order to end up with 1 million SAS EuroBonus miles.

Last week, I wrote about how I was taking on the SAS EuroBonus million-mile challenge. Now that my trip has kicked off, I'll be checking in with periodic reports on how it's going.

Airbnb has its sights set on global domination. In earnings calls this year, its cofounder and CEO, Brian Chesky, mapped out what he sees as the short-term-rental giant's biggest expansion markets: Mexico and Brazil in the Americas; in Asia, Japan, India, South Korea, and China, for Chinese residents looking to travel outside the country; and further into Germany, Italy, and Spain in Europe, where it already has a stronghold.

In March 2023, Tim Wong and Andrew Q. Tran took an impactful trip to Asia: The Bay Area-based couple, who began dating in 2020 after meeting through Andrew’s sister, attended a friend’s destination wedding on Balesin Island in the Philippines and went on to visit South Korea and Japan. Tim proposed to Andrew in Osaka, and then Andrew proposed back, at their next stop in Nara. The pair had dinner with their newlywed pals once they’d all returned to the US, and it didn’t take long for Tim and Andrew to become convinced they needed to have a destination wedding, too.

A new gift idea for the traveler who has it all just landed.  Luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent recently unveiled two new private jet itineraries for 2026, and updated two existing ones. The programs will take travelers on curated journeys to off-the-grid, or hard to reach destinations. The firm operates the month-long excursions in February, May, September, and October and they sweep through multiple counties and destinations around the world on a private jet. 

Seattleites will have two new options to Asia on their hometown airline next year when Alaska Airlines launches new nonstops to Tokyo and Seoul.