Instead of Ancestral Grave Visits, 'Seolcance'... Demand for Short-Distance Overseas Travel Also Rises

Changed Lunar New Year Scenes... Overseas Travel and Hotel Stays Instead of Returning Home

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] The first Lunar New Year without social distancing is fast approaching. In the past, it was common to visit one’s hometown to set up ancestral rites and pay respects at graves, but recently, more people are choosing to enjoy the holiday break as a time to recharge.

This year as well, with the so-called Seol-cance (Seol + vacation) demand surging, domestic hotels and airports are expected to be bustling with travelers during the holiday period.

Office worker Yoon Su-hyun (32) decided to go to Da Nang, Vietnam for the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday. Yoon said, “Due to the impact of COVID-19, I haven’t been able to travel abroad for a long time, so I decided to go overseas during this Lunar New Year holiday. It’s not easy to take a long vacation, and my parents want to keep the holiday simple, so the holiday has lost much of its significance.” She added, “Many acquaintances around me are also traveling abroad to nearby places like Japan or Southeast Asia this Lunar New Year.”

On the morning of the 30th last year, the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport was bustling with travelers. Photo by Yonhap News

Actual airline ticket bookings have also surged. According to Hana Tour’s analysis of planned travel product reservations (excluding airline tickets and hotels) for the Lunar New Year travel period (departures from January 20 to 24), about 15,000 people made reservations. This is a 7,015% increase compared to last year’s Lunar New Year holiday.

By region, Southeast Asia accounted for 54%, Japan 30%, and Europe 7%, with reservations concentrated in Southeast Asia and Japan. Within Southeast Asia, Vietnam accounted for 36%, Thailand 17%, the Philippines 12%, and Taiwan 7%.

Modetour reported that overseas package tour reservations for the Lunar New Year holiday (departures from January 20 to 24) reached 13,000, recovering to 9,181% compared to the previous year’s Lunar New Year holiday and 58% compared to the pre-COVID-19 2020 Lunar New Year holiday. Short-distance travel destinations were also popular, with Southeast Asia at 59%, Japan 25%, and Europe 10%. Similarly, Norangpungseon saw overseas package tour dispatch rates during the Lunar New Year holiday period increase by more than 4,000% compared to the same period last year.

On the morning of the 1st, the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport is bustling with passengers embarking on their travels to welcome the New Year. Photo by Yonhap News

Due to the short Lunar New Year holiday, some are choosing to enjoy the break at domestic hotels. According to the hotel industry, major hotels in Seoul such as the Chosun Hotel have completed over 70% of their room reservations for the holiday period.

Paradise City, located in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, reported an average room reservation rate of 80% during the Lunar New Year holiday, and Maison Glad Jeju recorded an average reservation rate of 85% from January 21 to 24.

Meanwhile, as the trend of enjoying the Lunar New Year holiday through travel spreads, the tourism industry is busy trying to attract travelers.

The Korea Tourism Organization provides a monthly service called “Gabolrae-ter,” which recommends customized travel information to revitalize domestic travel destinations. The January issue introduces various content under the theme “Winter Direct Confrontation Type vs. Winter Cold Avoidance Type,” including nationwide wish spots, hot places for the Year of the Rabbit, dessert cafes, and hot springs.