Alpensia Resort

The Alpensia Resort (Korean: 알펜시아 리조트) is a ski resort and a tourist attraction. It is located on the territory of the township of Daegwallyeong-myeon, in the county of Pyeongchang.[1]

Alpensia Resort
Night Skiing at Alpensia
Alpensia Resort
Location in South Korea
LocationPyeongchang, South Korea
Nearest major cityDaegwallyeong-myeon
Coordinates37.661°N 128.680°E / 37.661; 128.680
Websitealpensiaresort.co.kr

Overview

The ski resort is approximately 2.5 hours from Seoul or Incheon Airport by car, predominantly all motorway. From Seoul Cheongrangri KTX station (NE Seoul) as well as Seoul KTX station 1 and half hour KTX Jinbu station newly-opened from Feb. 22, 2017 exclusively-built for PyeongChang 2018. There are purple ski shuttle buses to the resort 3 or 4 times a day.[2]

Alpensia has six slopes for skiing and snowboarding, with runs up to 1.4 km (0.87 mi) long, for beginners and advanced skiers, and an area reserved for snowboarders. While the resort is open year-round, the off-season turns the bottom of the slopes into a wild flower garden estimating 100,000-square meters. [3]

When the ski and snowboarding season opens, all runs are serviced by chairlifts and are named: Alpha (beginner), Bravo (beginner/intermediate), Charlie, Delta, Echo and Foxtrot catering for intermediate ability. All slopes are closed between 4:30 pm and 6:30 pm each day for piste-maintenance. Night skiing is available from 6:30 pm to 10 pm.

Alpensia is a 5–10-minute car ride to the more extensive Yongpyong Ski Resort which has a full range of runs.

In the resort village are three main accommodation providers - Intercontinental Hotel, Holiday Inn Hotel, and Holiday Inn Suites.

The Alpensia Ski Jumping Stadium is located within the station and will be the location of the ski jumping events of the 2018 Winter Olympics.[4]

Alpensia will be the focus of the 2018 Cultural Olympiad, with a new, purpose-built concert hall within the resort as well as an indoor water park.[5]

History

The decision to build Alpensia resort was taken in 2003, in the frame of the ambition of the Gangwon Province to host the Winter Olympics. The resort was built on vacated farmlands and potato fields. The facility was completed in 2011.

In 2013, Alpensia Resort was one of the venues of the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games.

2018 Winter Olympics

The Alpensia Resort has been the focus of the outdoor sports of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.[6][7]

The venues are the following:

In addition, Alpensia is the location of an Olympic Village and the nearby Yongpyong Ski Resort will be the venue for alpine skiing technical events (slalom and giant slalom). The speed events of downhill, super-G, and combined will be held at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, currently under development.

After the Olympics, Alpensia Resort also hosted the 2018 Winter Paralympics.

Financial problems

In 2012, it was announced that Alpensia Resort was threatened by bankruptcy, having accumulated losses of $55 million annually. Although this has been denied by Kim Jin-sun from the POCOG in January 2013,[8] the financial problems had not improved as of September 2013. Some Gangwon Congress members insisted on selling Alpensia before it was too late. Others argued either to request financial support from the government or to withdraw from the acceptance of the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.[9][10]

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References
  1. Yoon, Chul (27 December 2011). "7 best ski and snowboard resorts in Korea". CNN Go. Archived from the original on 2012-05-11. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  2. "purple ski shuttle buses". Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-01-25.
  3. "Gangwon-do » Pyeongchang-gun » Alpensia Resort". Korean Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on 2011-10-06. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  4. PyeongChang 2018 – Snow sports
  5. "Press Release: PyeongChang 2018 boosts cultural Olympiad plans with a new Alpensia concert hall (SportsFeatures.com)". PyeongChang 2018 Bid Committee. 2010-07-23. Archived from the original on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  6. "PyeongChang 2018: Alpensia resort and water park complete and full for summer season". Archived from the original on March 12, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2010.
  7. "Pyeongchang2018 Volume 2 (Sport and Venues)" (PDF). Pyeongchang2018.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-18. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
  8. PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Park Safe From Bankruptcy Says Kim Archived 2014-02-21 at the Wayback Machine - GamesBids - Robert Livingstone - Jan 31 2013
  9. 평창 알펜시아리조트 경영 정상화 해법 ‘난항’ [Alpensia Pyeongchang Resort Management improvement 'bogged'] (in Korean). The financial news. Yonhap News Agency. September 10, 2003. Archived from the original on 2014-03-08. Retrieved 2013-09-14.
  10. 강원도의회 “재정난 알펜시아 더 늦기 전 매각해야” [Gangwon Congress "to sell Alpensia before its financial problems too late"] (in Korean). News1 Korea. September 10, 2003.
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