MZ Generation's Return to Daily Life... Overseas Trips to Golf Courses and Gyms

Recovered daily life is enjoyed 'alone'
Travel, golf, and health activities are enjoyed, but the leisure culture of doing them 'together' has disappeared

On the 22nd, ahead of the weekend, the domestic terminal of Gimpo Airport in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, was bustling with travelers. Domestic and international tourism demand is increasing due to the full lifting of social distancing measures and the recovery of daily life. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Cho and Gyumin Oh] Kim Min-woo (30, Gwanak-gu, Seoul), who works at a domestic startup, took annual leave on the 18th, when social distancing was lifted, and went on a 9-night, 10-day trip to Cambodia. Kim said, "Although I had to pay 100,000 won out of pocket for the pre-entry PCR test, I wanted to enjoy overseas leisure, which had been restricted due to COVID-19, at a local swimming pool in Southeast Asia."

Office worker Baek Hyun-gi (30, pseudonym, Nowon-gu, Seoul) plans to head to a golf practice range after work on the 22nd. He started playing golf at the end of last year. Baek said, "I learned golf because group sports were prohibited due to COVID-19," adding, "With the lifting of social distancing and the end of remote work at my company, golf seems like the best way to expand my network."

Since the unwelcome guest COVID-19 landed on Korean soil, our lives have completely deviated from their previous paths. The 2030 MZ generation (Millennials + Generation Z) is no exception. The way they spend leisure time has changed. Group sports activities have decreased, while solo exercises have increased. Recharging through travel has become a thing of the past. The numbers reflect this. In 2020, the first year of COVID-19, the participation rate in sports activities among people in their 20s was 60.9%, down 8.2 percentage points from the previous year. For those in their 30s, it was 58.6%, a decrease of 11.7 percentage points. The decline in travel was even more significant. Overseas tourism, which reached 28 million in 2019, dropped to 4.27 million in 2020, a decrease of 85.11 percentage points.

Now that two cycles of the COVID calendar have passed, it is commonly referred to as the arrival of the so-called 'post-COVID' era. The lifting of social distancing on the 18th marked its beginning. The MZ generation is dreaming of returning to pre-COVID times. They are making up for postponed travel plans and starting leisure activities both individually and together. However, they are rejecting a complete return. The solo culture established during COVID-19 is expected to continue influencing the leisure and recreational culture of the MZ generation in the post-COVID era.

Professor Song Jae-ryong of the Department of Sociology at Kyung Hee University said, "Over the past two years, individualistic tendencies in our society have been strengthened due to COVID-19," adding, "There will be no return to the past, and small-group sports and cultural activities will continue for some time."