스마트 호캉스, 생태 관광,...제주도 여행 패턴 바꾼 '언택트' 문화
Jeju, the popular resort island off the southern coast of Korea, boasts a perfect harmony of nature and tourists attractions, attracting hundreds of thousands of vistors from home and abroad.
However, at this time of COVID-19, tourists are seeing what traveling in the post-virus world is like.
Lee Kyung-eun reports.
As soon as you step out of Jeju International Airport, you're greeted by one of the island's iconic stone statues... known as Dol Hareubangs but these days it's wearing a face mask.
Across the island, this has made them even more popular as photo spots, and they serve as a constant reminder to tourists to keep their masks on.
"Tourists really love Jeju, so they need to protect it. We started the campaign at the airport, but now other private facilities have followed suit voluntarily."
Social distancing is a part of traveling now, so new kinds of activities are trending at hotels.
"Smart staycation" is one such trend, like at this hotel, where guests stay in their rooms and use smart TVs to play content from their smartphones.
"Due to COVID-19, we tried to help our customers stay safe and have fun during their trip here, so we've installed smart TVs in each room."
The hotel also offers a private rent-a-car service so that customers can limit their contact with others when they want to go outside.
With tourism going 'non-contact,' forests have emerged as a new hotspot.
And Jeju has officially designated this "eco-tourism" as a new pillar of the industry.
"Here, instructors used to take visitors around in groups. But those group tours have been cancelled, and now visitors make their own journey based on these recommendations."
To help people clear their minds and relax, the forest service recommends simply walking through the forest, gazing at the sky, recording birdsong and even trying to capture these scenes on paper.
Immersing oneself in nature, experts say, helps people overcome the 'corona blues.'
"There's a lower risk of infection here. Also, I can be more mindful and free I can go back to spots I went to before or stay in one spot for a long time."
In fact, on Jeju Island, you can take yourself on a private, non-contact tour just about anywhere.
All you need to do is drive along any road by the ocean or through the woods.
To see what Jeju has to offer, you can go to "visitjeju.net".
Lee Kyung-eun, Arirang News, Jeju.
