"I Will Leave Within the Year"... Travel Consumer Sentiment 'Explodes'

Wemakeprice, Overseas Flight Ticket Sales Increase
Interpark Tour Attracts 20,000 to Europe Packages

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Since November, the number of people preparing for overseas travel has been increasing due to the phased daily recovery measures (With Corona). In particular, there is a surge in demand for 'Quick Travel (quick+travel)', referring to those who plan to travel immediately within the year.

According to Wemakeprice, an analysis of overseas flight ticket sales data from last month showed that transaction amounts increased by up to 790% compared to the previous month, and nearly 90% of these customers purchased tickets for immediate departure within the year. This is because the number of countries signing travel bubble agreements has increased, and the government declared the transition to 'With Corona', leading more consumers to turn their attention to overseas travel.

The high proportion of flight ticket purchases for immediate departure is believed to reflect the pent-up travel consumption sentiment that exploded after being suppressed by COVID-19, showing a strong desire to travel as soon as possible. This differs from past travel consumption patterns where overseas flight tickets were purchased with more time flexibility. The top three preferred travel destinations among customers who purchased overseas flight tickets in October were Southeast Asia (55%), the United States (35%), and Europe (7%), respectively.

Interpark Tour attracted 20,000 customers to its European package sold through TV home shopping on the 31st of last month, right after the With Corona announcement. This package targeted the Mediterranean, Turkey, Dubai, Spain, and Egypt regions, which have warmer climates than domestic areas during the winter season and are ideal for travel starting from the end of the year.

The live broadcast recorded 8,600 calls, and since the package is booked by a minimum of 2 to 4 people at a time, even calculating with just 3 people per call results in 25,800 people. This means they secured overseas travel numbers far exceeding 20,000. According to Interpark Tour, this is the highest number of calls ever recorded for a European package, including flight tickets sold through home shopping by travel agencies this year. This indicates a significant increase in overseas travel reservation demand.

An industry insider said, "Although travel demand has not fully recovered, as we enter the With Corona era, expectations and demand for overseas travel will grow even more," adding, "Related companies are also preparing various travel products."