Klook May Reservation Data Analysis
Increase Compared to Same Period in 2019
43% Growth Also Reported in Interpark Aggregation
The first golden holiday in May since the endemic (periodic outbreak of infectious diseases). With the easing of quarantine measures and the revival of suppressed travel demand, so-called 'revenge travel' sentiment has led to the number of overseas travel reservations for next month increasing about twice as much as before COVID-19.
Ahead of the golden holiday, the departure hall of Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 is bustling with travelers on the morning of the 27th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Global travel and leisure e-commerce platform 'Klook' announced on the 29th that after analyzing the company's overseas travel reservation data for May, the number of related reservations increased more than 37 times (3620%) compared to the same period last year. Notably, compared to May 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of overseas travel reservations nearly doubled.
May is generally called a golden holiday due to the pleasant weather for outings and holidays such as Labor Day, Children's Day, and Buddha's Birthday. Especially this year, by taking three days off between May 1st Labor Day and May 5th Children's Day, it is possible to travel for up to nine days. In addition, with the full-scale resumption of overseas travel routes and product sales that had been restricted for the past three years, it is interpreted that demand has surged to take advantage of the long-awaited holiday to go abroad.
According to data compiled by Interpark, the number of reservations for overseas travel package products departing in May increased about 31 times (3000%) compared to the same period last year. Compared to the same period in 2019, it also expanded by 43%.
According to Klook, popular overseas travel destinations in May were Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia. While there is a high preference for nearby travel destinations such as Japan and Southeast Asia, France and the United States also ranked among the top 10 countries in reservations. In particular, France was identified as the country with the largest increase in reservations compared to the same period in 2019. The most popular overseas travel destination on Interpark was Vietnam, accounting for 28% of total reservations, followed by Japan at 12%, Thailand at 9%, the Philippines at 7%, and Western Europe at 6%.
The preferred local activity among domestic bookers was identified as visiting theme parks. According to Klook, 'Paris Disneyland' had many reservations in France. In Japan, theme park tickets such as Universal Studios Japan and Tokyo Disney Resort were also sold in large numbers. The most booked products in Vietnam were entrance tickets to Da Nang Sun World Ba Na Hills and Nha Trang VinWonders, where visitors can enjoy unique natural scenery and activities simultaneously. In Taiwan, Taipei 101 Observatory tickets, and in Bangkok, Thailand, the entrance tickets to the tallest building, Bangkok MahaNakhon Skywalk, ranked high in reservations.
Additionally, on Interpark, the package product 'Osaka + Kyoto + Nara + Onsen Hotel 2 Nights,' which allows visitors to enjoy sightseeing hot springs and Universal Studios together in celebration of Family Month, ranked first in reservation rankings. An industry official said, "The travel market, which was hit hard by COVID-19, is gradually recovering," and added, "It is expected that the number of travelers planning to go abroad will increase further with the May golden holiday."
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