"I'm Going to the Hotel for Seol Holidays Again This Year"

COVID-19 Year 3 Holiday Scenes
Large Family Gatherings Difficult, Staying Home Feels Confined
Major Hotels and Resorts Nationwide Near 100% Booking Rates

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Office worker Lee (39) decided to enjoy a hotel staycation with his family in Seoul's Jung-gu district instead of visiting his hometown Changwon in Gyeongnam during this Lunar New Year holiday. Since the start of COVID-19, Lee has refrained from visiting his hometown during the busy Lunar New Year and Chuseok holidays, opting instead to visit his parents on less crowded weekends. Although he usually spent the holiday quietly at home, this year, with a longer five-day holiday, he chose a hotel staycation to enjoy a different experience while being as cautious as possible.

The number of people choosing hotel staycations over trips to their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday is increasing. Entering the third year of COVID-19, large family gatherings are still being avoided, but individual families who previously spent the holidays quietly at home are now seeking ways to "enjoy cautiously," and nearby hotels and resorts have become an alternative for them.

According to the hotel industry on the 27th, the room reservation rate for major hotels and resorts nationwide during the Lunar New Year holiday (January 29 to February 2) was close to 100%. Reservations filled up early in major tourist destinations such as Gangwon, Geoje, Busan, and Jeju. Hotels like Goseong Delpino, Sol Beach Yangyang, and Sol Beach Samcheok operated by Sono International, as well as Geoje Belvedere operated by Hanwha Hotels & Resorts, were already fully booked. Hanwha Resort Gyeongju (98%), Hanwha Resort Haeundae (95%), Seorak Sorano (95%), and Hongcheon Vivaldi Park (95%) also approached 100% occupancy.

The Jeju Tourism Association forecasted that 207,000 tourists would visit Jeju from the 29th to the 2nd of next month, a 35.2% increase compared to last year's Lunar New Year holiday. Given this situation, major hotels in Jeju Jungmun are also showing reservation rates close to 90%.

Notably, major hotels in Seoul are also recording higher reservation rates compared to previous years due to the demand for hotel staycations. The Seoul Shilla Hotel is currently operating at about 80% capacity due to COVID-19, but considering this, it is showing a reservation rate of over 90%. The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas is also recording reservation rates in the 70-80% range. A hotel official said, "Occupancy during the holiday exceeds 70%, with about 80% on the 30th. We expect the rate to increase by another 5-10 percentage points before the holiday begins."

Major hotels in downtown Seoul, which previously catered mainly to overseas business and travelers before COVID-19, have been renovating their facilities targeting domestic customers such as families and groups of friends, who have become the main clientele in the third year of the pandemic. The Seoul Shilla Hotel opened a permanently operating kids' lounge in preparation for the surge in hotel staycation guests during the Lunar New Year holiday. On weekends, they run programs like "Reading English Picture Books with Teachers" in collaboration with the picture book play English studio "Little Soho."

A hotel official said, "Although it is difficult for the whole family to gather due to social distancing, the number of customers wanting to enjoy the relatively long holiday in a safer place is increasing," adding, "We believe this trend, established under the influence of COVID-19, will continue into the post-COVID era."