From 'Snow Country' to Mythical Troy... Kyobo Book Centre Expands Themed Travel Business

Travel packages featuring experts including Kang Daejin, Shin Byungjoo, Ko Ungi and Jung Yeoul
Six packages spanning Greek mythology, the Joseon Tongsinsa and Japanese literature
In partnership with HanaTour and Hanjin Travel; travel bookstore to op

Traveling through Greece and Türkiye along the route taken by the hero Odysseus on his return in Homer's "Odyssey," and walking through Yuzawa, Japan, in search of the scenery depicted in Yasunari Kawabata's novel "Snow Country." Themed travel packages that bring the history and literature readers encounter in books to life at real-world destinations are being launched one after another.

Key travel packages offered by Kyobo Book Centre's themed travel curation platform, "ODYSSEY:K," include a Greek mythology tour with Professor Kang Daejin, a historical tour of Joseon diplomatic missions to Japan with Professor Shin Byungju, a literary tour of "Snow Country" with Professor Ko Ungi, and an art and literary tour of Tokyo with writer Jung Yeoul. Kyobo Book Centre

Kyobo Book Centre said on October 21 that it had launched ODYSSEY:K, a themed travel curation platform offering trips to destinations with experts in history, culture and the arts.

ODYSSEY:K is a service that extends the knowledge and inspiration gained from books into real-world travel. Kyobo Book Centre uses its books and network of experts to plan travel themes and itineraries, while Hanatour and Hanjin Travel operate the packages. The platform currently offers six travel packages and also features related books, travel goods and expert interviews online.

One of the featured packages, "From Troy to Ithaca: Walking the Hero's Return Journey," is an excursion through Türkiye and Greece with Professor Kang Daejin, a scholar of Western classics. Participants visit the ruins of Troy, Ithaca and Athens, which appear in Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey," and explore the sites of myth and history depicted in these classical works.

Historian Professor Shin Byungju travels through Japan's Kyushu and Kansai regions, following in the footsteps of the Joseon diplomatic missions to Japan. Under the theme "When the Words of Travel Records Become the Scenery Before Your Eyes," the tour visits places the missions traveled to and explores the history of cultural exchange between Korea and Japan.

Kyobo Book Centre is also expanding its existing literary travel packages. The "Snow Country Literary Tour" with Professor Ko Ungi visits Yuzawa, Japan, the setting of Yasunari Kawabata's novel "Snow Country." The itinerary explores the world of modern Japanese literature by comparing the scenery in the novel with the real-life locations.

Writer Jung Yeoul is leading an art and literary tour of Tokyo themed "The Night Van Gogh Painted, the Stars Yun Dong-ju Counted." The program visits places associated with painter Vincent van Gogh and poet Yun Dong-ju, bringing literature and art together.

Kyobo Book Centre is also strengthening sales of books and goods connected to the travel packages. Its recommendations include classics such as the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey," books about cities and landscapes in literature, and travel guides. It also features travel goods such as notebooks, writing instruments, suitcases, passport wallets and portable chargers.

Kyobo Book Centre plans to open an offline location, Kyobo Book Centre Travel Bookstore, in Naesu-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, this December. Alongside selling travel-related books and goods, the store will have a space and lounge for book talks, lectures and workshops. The cafe Clarimento is also set to open there.

A Kyobo Book Centre representative said, "We developed this service to help people turn the interests and inspiration they gain from books into real travel experiences," adding, "Starting with six travel packages, we will introduce trips covering a variety of themes and regions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.