The Korea Tourism Organization's official website - VisitKorea.or.kr - goes beyond simply providing tourist information and aims to actively help tourists during their stay in Korea. To meet the needs of the ever increasing numbers of free independent travellers, VisitKorea.or.kr has launched an online reservation system on its website enabling consumers to make reservations for, everything from accommodations to evening performances, mobile phone to car rentals.

The accommodation section of the online reservation system is not just limited to hotels. In April, 2008, VisitKorea.or.kr launched the "Home Stay online reservation system". Through this system, individual tourists can make a reservation to stay in a Korean residence giving them a particularly memorable cultural experience. Some 340 tourist used this service up until the end of 2008. Similarly, the ever popular Temple Stay programme, can be booked through the website. This will provide tourists with the unique experience of staying in a Buddhist temple and learning about Buddhist culture and daily life at first hand.

"Rail" and "Flight" options are also included on the main menu of the online reservations system, and links will take visitors directly to the English websites of KORAIL, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

The online reservation system is designed to open up more opportunities to free independent travellers and make their stay in Korea more convenient and memorable. The online reservation system is also expected to act as a marketing tool, attracting more inbound tourists. The KTO will implement a variety of online and offline marketing strategies that are related to the online reservation system.

For more information, please contact the Korea Tourism Organization's London office Marketing Team on 020 7321 2535 or London@knto.or.kr