Increase in Overseas Travelers During January Lunar New Year Holiday
Rising Demand for Japan and Southeast Asia Routes
[Asia Economy Reporter Noh Kyung-jo] With the global easing of COVID-19 quarantine regulations, international air travel is showing signs of recovery. In Japan, the number of passengers has increased more than eightfold in five months due to the combined effects of visa-free entry and the weak yen.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 6th that the number of international flights and passengers last month recovered to about 60% of the level in January 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19. This was influenced by the increase in overseas travelers during the Lunar New Year holiday period (21st to 24th).
Travelers are waiting for check-in at the departure hall of Terminal 1, Incheon International Airport. / Photo by Yonhap News
In particular, since the end of October last year, travel demand on medium- and short-haul routes such as Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand surged, with international passenger numbers recovering to about 35% compared to October 2019. In December, the recovery rate reached approximately 53% compared to two years ago.
By region, the number of passengers on Japan routes increased to 1.33 million, about 8.3 times higher than 160,000 in August last year. The rise in travel demand was due to the lifting of quarantine regulations and the depreciation of the yen. This figure exceeded the pre-COVID-19 level of January 2020 by about 10.8%.
Travel demand in Southeast Asian regions such as Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines has increased, leading to a gradual recovery in passenger numbers on Asia routes. The recovery rate of passengers in these regions last month was about 66% (2.18 million).
On the other hand, China raised expectations for the recovery of air travel by abolishing its "zero-COVID quarantine policy" in December last year, but this was dashed by a resurgence of COVID-19 within China. As countries tightened quarantine regulations for arrivals from China, the recovery rate of passengers last month (100,000) remained at only 8%.
Due to increased demand for overseas travel and weather impacts such as heavy snow and typhoons, the number of domestic passengers last month (2.64 million) slightly decreased compared to the same month last year. However, it was 3.7% higher compared to 2019. The cumulative number of domestic passengers over the past year reached a record high of 36.33 million, a 10.1% increase compared to 2019.
The global air travel recovery rate is also accelerating. According to the global aviation data provider OAG, the recovery rate of worldwide air travel (domestic + international, based on available seats) last year was about 80% compared to 2019, with Asia and Oceania slightly lower at under 70% compared to other regions. As of June this year, the expected global air travel recovery rate is forecasted at 90%, with a full recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels expected in the second half of next year.
Kim Young-guk, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We will continue to do our utmost to normalize international flights by increasing various international routes so that citizens can travel abroad without inconvenience," adding, "We will also make every effort to ensure aviation safety and security management."
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