South Korea will hold a nationwide shopping festival for foreign tourists as part of its efforts to pump up next year's Winter Olympics in the country's alpine resort town of PyeongChang, its organizers said Monday.

Korea Grand Sale 2018 will kick off on Jan. 18 for a 42-day run throughout the country, providing discounts to foreigners on a variety of options, ranging from flight tickets to accommodation, sightseeing and restaurants, the Visit Korea Committee said.

"As the upcoming Korea Grand Sale will be held in line with the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, we are putting all our efforts to make a festive mood and welcome foreign visitors," said Han Kyung-ah, secretary general of the Visit Korea Committee, during a press conference in Seoul.

The Winter Games is set to be held in PyeongChang, 180 kilometers east of Seoul, and its adjacent cities from Feb. 9-25.

During the festival, South Korea's No. 2 carrier Asiana Airlines will provide up to a 60 percent discount for Korea-bound tickets departing from China, Southeast Asia and Europe, according to the committee.

Low-cost carrier Jeju Air will also offer a maximum of 95 percent discount for all international flights bound to South Korea, it said.

Lotte Hotel, the hotel chain of South Korean retail giant Lotte, is planning to offer a voucher card for its duty-free shops worth 40,000 won (US$37) to foreigners who book more than two nights on its website, the committee said.

For more information, visit www.koreagrandsale.co.kr/en/. (Yonhap)