Asian resort complexes, at least in the eyes of foreign visitors, tend to be lumped together with cookie-cutter ski slopes and auxiliary lodging facilities. That perception, however, does not apply to Alpensia Resort in Korea.
The mammoth resort complex, which Gangwon Province has set out to complete by August of 2008 in a project valued at 1.12 trillion won ($1.11 billion), has a motto titled "Relaxation in Nature," suggesting its environment-friendly characteristics.
The word Alpensia is coined from three words; a German word Alpen ("Alps"), Asia and Fantasia. Taken together, the resort aims to be an ideal Alps resort in Asia. Indeed, its envisioned resort village will adopt the architectural trend of the Alps region in northern Italy.
Equally important, Alpensia will become the world's first ubiquitous resort. From the very beginning, all the electronic and information technology gadgets will be tightly integrated into the resort facilities, taking advantage of Korea's leadership in the field, while offering better experiences to visitors.
The resort, formerly known as Peace Valley Resort, is a key project for Gangwon Province which aims to put together a host of ski resorts and boost their combined quality for the Olympic Games.
Under the master plan finalized in early April, a public bidding for design and construction on a turn-key basis is slated for July this year, and construction will begin in April 2006. Olympic facilities will be built up by the end of October 2007 for international events Gangwon Province is scheduled to host.
Alpensia is located in PyeongChang, southern Gangwon Province, which narrowly lost out to Vancouver to host the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Officials from the Gangwon provincial government said the resort spanning 1.5 million pyeong (1 pyeong is 3.3 square meters) will have ski jumps and biathlon and cross country courses, as well as resort facilities, making it Korea's first comprehensive sports-tourism complex for all seasons.
Alpensia will also have large-scale accommodations that may be turned into an athlete's village and a media center should the province host international competitions. Notably, if Gangwon wins the bid for the 2014 Olympic Games, Alpensia will serve not only its ski facilities but also the main stadium for the opening and closing ceremonies of the entire games.
The resort is also expected to boost the regional economy by as much as 2 trillion won and create some 1,000 jobs per year, forging a cluster of resorts and local tourism attractions nearby.
The major facilities of Alpensia are divided into two divisions. The first is the resort area, and the second is dedicated to the Olympic Games. The resort area includes a 150-room five-star hotel, 200-room three-star hotel, 600-room village condominium and 500-seat auditorium, as well as a state-of-the-art conference center.
In addition, the resort will provide better leisure experiences through its wellness health center, a large-scale water park, a 300-seat outdoor theater and related facilities.
