The Most Popular Travel Destination for Koreans in the Second Half of Last Year is 'Bangkok'

Travel Tech Company MyRealTrip Releases Overseas Travel Accommodation Report

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] The most popular travel destination for Koreans in the second half of last year was Bangkok, Thailand, according to a recent survey. On the 4th, MyRealTrip (CEO Lee Dong-geon), an online travel product brokerage platform, announced the '2019 Second Half Accommodation Report' revealing these findings.

MyRealTrip analyzed Korean overseas travel accommodation data from July 1 to December 31, 2019. The city with the highest number of hotel bookings was Bangkok, followed by Taipei, Da Nang, Jeju, and Kota Kinabalu. In the same period the previous year, the ranking was Osaka, Fukuoka, Jeju, Tokyo, and Taipei, but due to the impact of the Japanese boycott movement, domestic and Southeast Asian destinations took their place. Although not in the top rankings, destinations with a sharp increase in bookings compared to the previous year included Hoi An, Kaohsiung, Nha Trang, and Chiang Mai. These destinations saw a surge in demand as more flights were launched and they received focused attention from entertainment programs.

Meanwhile, Korean guesthouses showed different booking trends compared to hotels, performing strongly in European regions such as Paris, London, and Barcelona. The number of travelers booking Korean guesthouses through MyRealTrip increased by 127% compared to the same period last year. The main reasons for choosing Korean guesthouses were reasonable prices, Korean language communication, access to local information, community functions such as traveling companions, and provision of Korean food. Additionally, Korean guesthouses offering various accommodation types such as group rooms, private rooms, and pool villas to meet diverse traveler needs have increased. The fact that they are easily accessible in 100 cities worldwide, including Saipan, Cusco, and Istanbul, also contributed to the rise in bookings.

Furthermore, popular booking cities varied depending on accommodation types such as Airbnb and hostels. Analysis of Airbnb booking data through MyRealTrip showed high bookings in Taiwan, Paris, and London, while hostels were popular in Interlaken, Vladivostok, and Taipei. Taipei was highly popular across all accommodation types, ranking among the top travel destinations.

The timing of accommodation bookings also differed by destination. On average, Southeast Asia bookings were made 43 days in advance, Europe 49 days, and the Americas 51 days prior to stay. This contrasts significantly with domestic hotel bookings, which were made 22 days in advance. Lee Dong-geon, CEO of MyRealTrip, stated, "By analyzing flight and accommodation data, we strive to recommend more personalized options to travelers," adding, "As a travel tech company, we will continue to enhance the completeness of our one-stop travel platform service to innovate the domestic travel industry."