Leaflets help Rotary guests navigate city

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism along with the Korea Tourism Organization has started to distribute travel guide leaflets for foreign visitors at Incheon International Airport, just in time for the 2016 Rotary International Seoul Convention.

The one-page leaflet is small enough to fit in a wallet or a pocket and comes in 11 languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

The leaflet was newly designed to deliver essential information in a simple way, as previous booklets were too thick and heavy for travelers to conveniently carry around.

The government and the state-run tourism agency also decided to make it more readily available at the airport instead of making travelers venture out to tourist offices located downtown to gather more information about how to get around.

The handy guides include basic information on how to get around in Seoul, such as how to use Korea’s public transportation system with T-money cards, how to shop in a market or at a street shop where shoppers don’t see a price tag on products. They also show where to find free Wi-Fi connections and provide cultural tips such as the fact that in Korea, restaurant diners don’t need to tip. The information on the leaflet will continue to be updated as suggestions are collected from travelers.

BY LEE SUN-MIN [summerlee@joongang.co.kr]