"Is Now the Chance?" The Mavericks Enjoying Travel and Movies Amid COVID-19

"Airfare Prices Dropped" Traveling to Jeju Island and Overseas
"Nice to Have No Crowds" People Visiting Theaters

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] Although consumer sentiment has been greatly dampened due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), some people are taking advantage of this gap to enjoy affordable and leisurely leisure activities, drawing attention.

According to the travel industry on the 14th, travel packages to not only China, where COVID-19 is rampant, but also to Thailand, Singapore, and other places where confirmed cases are increasing, have been canceled in large numbers. According to the Korea Association of Travel Agents (KATA), the official damage amount identified as of the 3rd of this month is 29.9 billion KRW for outbound travel by Koreans (about 62,000 cancellations) and 6.5 billion KRW for inbound travel by foreigners (470 cancellations).

Domestic airline tickets have also been hit. According to the Jeju Tourism Association's data, the number of domestic visitors to Jeju was only 19,213 on the 7th, 20,488 on the 8th, and 18,959 on the 9th, totaling 58,660. This is a decrease of 42.38% compared to the same period last year. Consequently, Jeju airline ticket prices have also plummeted.

Meanwhile, some people are taking advantage of the drop in airline ticket prices to plan trips to Jeju or overseas. Citizen Yeodongwoo (31) said, "The airline tickets are cheap, and I thought there would be fewer people in Jeju than in Seoul, so I booked a ticket," adding, "Although I am worried because Chinese people can enter visa-free, it was such a good opportunity that I couldn't miss it."

Businesses that some confirmed patients have visited are also suffering. Movie theaters, in particular, have taken a big hit. Even during the usually packed evening hours, it is difficult to find a fully occupied theater. As a result, some movie fans are enjoying movies leisurely, taking advantage of the reduced number of viewers.

Seo Young-won (33), whom we met at a movie theater, said, "I have been visiting theaters frequently recently because I can watch comfortably without worrying about the person next to me or in front." They collectively said that they are not very concerned about infection because large commercial facilities like theaters have recently been focusing on quarantine and hygiene.

On the other hand, there are voices expressing concern that such consumption behavior may be linked to a lack of safety awareness. Professor Kim Woo-joo, an infectious disease specialist at Korea University Guro Hospital, advised, "Looking at the number of confirmed cases and deaths so far, the transmission speed is faster and the mortality rate is estimated to be lower than Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). However, since the possibility of infection still exists, people should maintain strict personal hygiene and be vigilant when visiting places of concern."