South Korean tourism hitting new heights

We are tipping South Korea as the "must visit" destination of 2027. 

And, inspired by SBC TV program Bill Bailey's Korea, we've added to our list for the next 12 months. 

The intriguing Asian nation has already surpassed its previous annual record for international tourist arrivals, welcoming more foreign visitors in the first 10 months of 2026 than during the whole of 2025, news hub Travel Mole reports.

The country recorded approximately 18.91 million international arrivals through October 26, according to provisional figures from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 

The previous record of 18.94 million, set in 2025, was overtaken on October 27, with more than two months remaining in the year.

Growth was particularly strong among Asian markets. Arrivals from Greater China increased 29.1%, including 5.47 million visitors from mainland China. Japanese arrivals rose 16.9% to 3.12 million.

Visitor numbers from other Asian markets and the Middle East, as well as Europe, the Americas and Oceania, also increased by approximately 15%.

South Korea’s performance contrasts with declines recorded in some competing Asian destinations. 

The tourism boom is also benefiting destinations beyond Seoul. International arrivals through airports and seaports outside the capital region reached 4.82 million, up from 3.74 million a year earlier.

Domestic travel activity generated by international visitors also expanded, with regional visits increasing 19.7% to 64.72 million.

The government attributes the surge to the international popularity of Korean culture, improved air connectivity and more flexible visa policies.

Culture Minister Chae Hwi-young said the country was entering a period in which inbound tourism could establish records regularly. 

She stressed, however, that future policy would focus on improving tourism quality alongside increasing visitor numbers. 

Among the big hotel groups banking on South Korea is Marriott International, which this week 

announced the opening of three hotels in South Korea: UH Seoul Insadong, Series by Marriott; Anook Signature Incheon Guwol, Series by Marriott; and Anook Signature Busan Haeundae, Series by Marriott. 

The three openings add 273 rooms across Seoul, Incheon and Busan, bringing the brand’s South Korea portfolio to four hotels and 377 rooms.

“These three openings give travellers more choice in how they experience South Korea, from the cultural neighbourhoods of Seoul to Incheon’s business district and Busan’s coast,” said Duke Nam, Marriott's regional vice president. 

Image: Haedong Yonggungsa Temple, Visit Korea

Sydney's new Italian eatery aims to transport diners to New York

Sydney has yet another new Italian restaurant - but this one has a point of difference.

Vito's opened last week on Bridge Street, aiming to bring the grandeur of mid-century New York Italian dining to Australia's biggest city. 

Sunday Co. opened Vito's, saying the new restaurant and bar has been inspired by the great dining rooms of mid-century New York. It is located inside the heritage-listed Burns Philp Building at 11 Bridge Street.

Vito’s aims to capture" the nostalgia and grandeur of the Italian-American dining scene". 

The PR blurb says it is "made for long lunches, celebrations or a drink at the bar". 

“Vito’s has been years in the making, and every detail has been meticulously considered,” says Brett Sergeant, managing director, Sunday Co. 

“We set out to create a restaurant that feels like it’s always been here, and the Bridge Street site was a major part of that. 

"After 18 months of planning, designing and building, opening the doors is an incredibly exciting moment for us. Vito’s is the most ambitious thing we have done as a group. We want people to walk through those doors and know they are here to have fun and a memorable experience."

The kitchen is led by executive chef Michael Fox (formerly chef de cuisine at Carbone, Hong Kong). 

The menu centres on handmade pastas, a significant wood-fired grill section and classic desserts by Lauren Eldridge.

"Italian-American food is about generosity and comfort, but there's real precision behind the classics," says Fox. "We've spent months working with the best producers to source exceptional seafood and meat. Every dish on the menu is about respecting the food people know and love, while presenting them with care and refinement."

Menu highlights include: beef carpaccio with truffle and hazelnut; conchiglie with crab and green garlic butter; the Vito’s signature 10-layer lasagne; scampi and scallop crudo with orange and capers; a 1kg Prime Angus Porterhouse with Marsala sauce; and Kinross lamb loin chops with salmoriglio. 

The beverage program has been curated by group head sommelier Antoine Heurtier. The choice features a 400-label wine list showcasing both local and international producers, and there is a "classic" cocktail list. 

Vito’s joins Sunday Co.'s growing portfolio of Sydney CBD venues alongside Whalebridge and Morrison’s Oyster Bar and Grill, with the group set to open its next venue on the former Ursula’s site in Paddington in April 2027.

See Vito’s Sydney

Images: Steven Woodburn  

Tauck adds wellness elements to river cruises

River cruising is about as chilled as travel gets, but cruise operator Tauck is adding wellness elements to its European journeys. 

Tauck has introduced wellness-focused programming on two special departures of its Rendezvous on the Seine river cruise in 2027, adding a selection of optional fitness, nutrition and mindfulness experiences to the company's existing 10-day itinerary through Paris and Normandy. 

Tauck has also confirmed plans to expand the concept in 2028 with five Wellness Departures across a broader range of itineraries.

The inaugural Wellness Departures will operate on July 28 and October 11, 2027 aboard Tauck's ms Serene. 

Guests will experience the same sightseeing, exclusive access and cultural experiences featured on Rendezvous on the Seine, with additional opportunities throughout the journey to participate in wellness activities built around three themes: Move, Savour and Restore. I'd be more keen on Sit, Read and Drink, but I'm not the target market.

Participation will, thankfully, be entirely optional, allowing guests to engage as much or as little as they choose.

"We're always listening to our guests and advisors, and we know that wellness has become an increasingly important part of how people want to travel and spend their time," said Tauck CEO Jennifer Tombaugh. 

"What we love about these departures is that they give guests even more choice without changing the Tauck experience they already value. They can explore France, connect with the people and places along the Seine and, if they choose, make time to move, recharge or learn something they can bring home with them."

Both Wellness Departures will be hosted by fitness entrepreneur and wellness coach Nikki Polos, founder of Workout Worthy, a fitness and coaching platform. 

Activities may include guided movement and fitness sessions, mindfulness practices, wellness discussions and programming focused on nutrition and healthy habits. 

Tauck's 10-day Rendezvous on the Seine itinerary travels round trip from Paris, combining time in the French capital with cruising through Normandy. 

See www.tauck.com.au.

Hobart festival celebrates maritime traditions

Tasmanians love a good festival and one of the most popular - The Australian Wooden Boat Festival (AWBF) - returns early in the new year. 

The festival - held every two years - will take over the Hobart waterfront from February 5-8 with Working Boats as its central theme. 

It is Tasmania's largest free event and the biggest celebration of wooden boats and maritime culture in the southern hemisphere, shining a spotlight on the various vessels that have carried people and cargo, supported livelihoods and connected communities for generations.

Hundreds of wooden vessels will dock : from historic fishing boats and trading vessels to elegant yachts, tall ships and traditional sailing craft. 

The 2027 fleet will include visiting vessels from Bali, Sulawesi, Taiwan, Japan and New Zealand, bringing an international dimension to the festival. 

AWBF general manager and festival director Paul Stephanus said the Working Boats theme provides an opportunity to share the stories of the vessels and the people behind them.

"Our Working Boats theme celebrates the wooden boats that earn their keep, carry people and cargo, and connect communities," he said. 

"Every vessel has a story, and we're looking forward to bringing those stories together on Hobart's waterfront, whether they've sailed across oceans or just around the corner."

Returning Festival favourites include the Shipwrights Village, Noisy Boatyard, Wooden Boat Symposium, Little Sailors Village and Maritime Marketplace, alongside new exhibitions, demonstrations, performances and opportunities for visitors of all ages to experience maritime culture first hand.

The 2027 Australian Wooden Boat Festival Program and website are now live at www.awbf2027.org.au, 

Potts Point party to celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day

Beaujolais Nouveau Day is back baby!

Parisian-inspired Sydney wine bar La Buvette will celebrate Beaujolais Nouveau Day on Thursday,  November 19, with a street party, pouring exclusively Beaujolais wines for the night, alongside a short menu of snacks drawn from the region's traditional dishes.

Held on the third Thursday of November, Beaujolais Nouveau Day marks the release of the first wine from the year’s vintage. 

In France, it’s a long-standing reason to gather and drink, and the team behind La Buvette is bringing the tradition to Potts Point after several years in which the festival went largely ignored. 

Every glass and bottle served at La Buvette will come from Beaujolais. 

The list will span the region’s crus, alongside a few Beaujolais Blancs, a rarer white expression of the region. 

Inside, the bar will be cleared for standing drinkers, while outside diners will be served a short menu including pissaladière tartlet with Olasagasti anchovies; potato rosti with sour cream, trout roe and chives; Lyonnaise salad with frisée, hen’s egg and crispy guanciale; and coq au vin with pancetta lardons and pearl onions.

“Beaujolais Nouveau Day is one of the great excuses to get together and open a few bottles, and we’ve wanted to bring our own version of it to Sydney for a while,” says Nathan Sasi, chef and co-owner of The Goodies Hospitality. 

"La Buvette already has that spill-onto-the-street energy, so it felt like the right place to host it. We're opening some really good bottles, cooking a few classic Beaujolais snacks and letting the night roll from there."

The event will be open to all, with no bookings or tickets required. Food and drink will be available on consumption from 4pm until late, with standing room inside and table service outside.

Fiji switch: Goodbye Westin, hello JW Marriott

Marriott International's JW Marriott hotel brand will make its Pacific islands debut early next year. 

The JW Marriott Fiji Resort & Spa on Denarau Island will feature 282 keys and is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027. 

The signing marks the debut of the JW Marriott brand in the the region. 

This signing is part of a conversion deal of the existing Westin Fiji Golf Resort & Spa, which has been closed since January 2023. 

Plans for the revamped resort include premium rooms and suites, two-bedroom villas with private swimming pools, a large family pool and a dedicated adults-only pool with a poolside bar and dining. 

A new lobby and communal areas will include a kids club and a teen zone. 

Dining options will include JW Market, offering casual all-day refreshments and grab-and-go options; a specialty restaurant drawing on Japanese influences with locally sourced ingredients; a wine and cocktail-focused lounge; and an elevated dining and cultural experience rooted in Fijian tradition.

“Fiji is one of the Pacific’s most compelling resort destinations, and we are excited to work with Fiji National Provident Fund to introduce JW Marriott to the market," said said Rajeev Menon, regonal president for Marriott International.

"JW Marriott’s focus on mindful experiences, meaningful connections and holistic well-being is a natural complement to the resort’s beautiful natural setting on Denarau Island."