A large-scale Korean shopping festival for foreign tourists will open from Monday to the end of February in major cities across the nation.

The Visit Korea Committee announced Sunday that the “Korea Grand Sale 2011” will run for 50 days starting on Monday in Seoul, Busan and Jeju among other big cities.

Some 13-thousand department stores and shopping malls, including Sinsegae, Hyundai and Lotte, will provide discount and free gift events. At Incheon International Airport, events will take place in which foreign tourists can enter a contest that will give out free hotel vouchers and concert tickets.

The Visit Korea Committee plans to hold a ceremony marking the launch of the sale event at Myeongdong on Friday. The committee also plans to hold cultural events on weekends at Yongsang and the Dongdaemun area among other sites where there is a large crowd of foreign travelers.

Local residents can also take part in the festival by visiting the committee’s Web site and participate in sweepstake contests that will give away concert and movie tickets as well as iPads.