"Mother, I Can't Go Home for Chuseok. Instead, I'm Going on a Trip"

Special Demand for Accommodation Facilities in Major Tourist Destinations like Jeju during 'Contactless Holidays'
200,000 Expected to Visit Jeju, Hotel Rooms in Tourist Spots Selling Out Fast

On the 14th, the domestic terminal at Gimpo Airport in Seoul is bustling with travelers taking advantage of the golden holiday weekend./Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] As the government urged people to refrain from visiting their hometowns during the Chuseok holiday, a major traditional Korean festival, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), accommodation facilities at major tourist destinations such as Jeju Island are enjoying a surge in demand. More people are planning domestic trips instead of returning to their hometowns, taking advantage of the 'contactless holiday' atmosphere during the Chuseok break. This seems to be a repeat of the situations seen at the end of April and during the summer vacation season in August. The repeated emphasis by health authorities on strictly observing social distancing during the Chuseok holiday at the end of this month appears to be in vain.

According to the tourism and hotel industry on the 20th, the Jeju Tourism Association forecasted that about 200,000 people will visit Jeju from the 30th of this month to the 4th of next month, the Chuseok holiday period. This means an average of about 40,000 visitors per day, which is similar to the number of visitors during the summer peak season. Flight reservation rates on routes from Gimpo and Gimhae to Jeju are recorded at 80-90%.

Luxury hotels in Jeju have also seen a surge in room reservation rates. Jeju Shilla Hotel and Lotte Hotel in Jungmun, Seogwipo City, Jeju, currently have room reservation rates of 70-80% from the 30th to the 4th of next month. The hotels expect that by next week (September 21-27), rooms in luxury hotels will be fully booked. During this period, the boutique luxury hotel, Phinix Podo Hotel, is already fully booked. Not only luxury hotels but also popular guesthouses are so fully booked that they are not accepting reservations. In particular, guesthouses operating parties near Aewol-eup and Woljeong-ri have already closed reservations for the holiday period.

People are expected to flock not only to Jeju but also to other major domestic tourist destinations. A resort operating 15 locations currently shows an average reservation rate of 85%. Resorts in major tourist spots such as Seorak, Jirisan, Haeundae, and Geosu are already fully booked. The resort explained, "Overall, we expect reservation rates to reach over 90%."

Popular pool villas like Namhae South Coast, where prices exceed 500,000 to 1,000,000 KRW per night, are so popular that waiting lists are necessary. There is also a flood of reservation inquiries for golf resorts from people wanting to enjoy golf.

A travel industry official said, "People who had been staying home due to the government's social distancing level 2.5 seem to be unable to bear the frustration and are planning trips during the Chuseok holiday."

On the other hand, the room reservation rates at Seoul's luxury hotels, which were expected to benefit from the 'holiday boom,' are worse than in previous years. Currently, reservation rates at Seoul Shilla Hotel, Lotte Hotel, and Walkerhill Grand Hotel are below 30%. However, hotels expect reservation rates to rise as Chuseok approaches. A hotel official said, "Hotels in Seoul originally had over 70% foreign guests, so there were many vacant rooms during holidays, but in the past five years, family groups enjoying 'hotel stays' have increased, raising holiday reservation rates to 70-90%. This year, the holiday boom from Lunar New Year to Chuseok has disappeared," lamenting. He added, "We are focusing on promoting domestic customers through unique package sales," and "We expect rooms to be 40-50% booked."

Citizens who are refraining from visiting their hometowns and trying to strictly follow quarantine rules feel disheartened by the forecasted increase in travelers. Kim Jeong-su (41), an office worker living in Mapo-gu, Seoul, said, "I planned a trip during the holiday because staying home felt frustrating and depressing, but I changed my mind due to concerns about the spread of COVID-19," adding, "We all need to endure a little and refrain together, but if people turn to travel, doesn't that defeat the purpose of not going to their hometowns?"

Experts are concerned that the increase in interregional movement could lead to a rise in COVID-19 cases after Chuseok. Jung Eun-kyung, head of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said at a recent regular briefing, "There are still about 100 new cases daily in the densely populated metropolitan area, and the proportion of cases with unknown infection routes is gradually increasing," adding, "Because the large-scale movement during the holiday could spread COVID-19 nationwide, we ask that people refrain from traveling and returning home as much as possible during this holiday period and treat it as a quarantine period to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission."

Jeju Island, expected to see the largest influx of travelers, plans to issue a special administrative order to take measures such as filing complaints and claiming quarantine costs against visitors who do not comply with quarantine rules during the Chuseok holiday. Additionally, an administrative order will be issued requiring mandatory COVID-19 testing for visitors to Jeju International Airport and Jeju Port who show fever symptoms, and all visitors during the Chuseok holiday will be required to follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks during their stay in Jeju. Furthermore, the province will file complaints and claim damages under the Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act if quarantine rules are violated and the response activities of the provincial quarantine authorities are hindered.