Only 2 to 3 out of 10 Seoul Citizens Took Summer Vacation Last Year... One-Day Trips Increased Due to COVID-19

Seoul Infographics Created and Published on the Theme of 'Seoul Citizens' Summer Vacation'
27.1% of Seoul Citizens Took Summer Vacation...Significant Decrease from 51% in 2019 Due to COVID-19 Impact

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The number of Seoul citizens taking summer vacations has significantly decreased to about 2 to 3 out of 10 compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the 'Seoul Citizens' Summer Vacation' Seoul Infographics published by the Seoul Institute on August 2nd for the summer vacation season, only 27.1% of Seoul citizens aged 15 and older took summer vacations last year. This is a sharp decline compared to 50.1% in 2019.

The overall number of summer vacation days was surveyed to be 4.2 days, similar to 4.1 days in 2019, but the proportion of day trips increased across most age groups, and the share of overseas travel decreased by more than 6 percentage points. Among vacation durations, 2 to 3 days accounted for the largest share at 44.8%, while the proportion of long-term trips of 11 days or more among those in their 30s and 40s actually increased.

By type, visits to natural scenic spots (18.2%), domestic camping (16.6%), visits to cultural heritage sites (6.6%), overseas travel (6.6%), and hot springs and beach activities (6.1%) ranked highest. Among activity types, overseas travel saw the largest decrease compared to the previous year (6.5 percentage points) due to the impact of COVID-19, while domestic camping saw the largest increase (6.6 percentage points) compared to the previous year.

The Seoul Institute explained, "During summer vacations, the composition ratio was high in the order of visits to natural scenic spots, domestic camping, visits to cultural heritage sites, overseas travel, and hot springs and beach activities," adding, "Due to the impact of COVID-19, the proportions of overseas travel, visits to natural scenic spots, and visits to cultural heritage sites decreased, while domestic camping increased significantly."