[Youth Report] "Let's eat delicious food under the cool air conditioner"... 'Molcance' instead of vacation

7 out of 10 Office Workers "Have No Vacation Plans"
Choosing Cool Shopping Malls Over Travel Amid High Inflation and Heatwave

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As the peak summer vacation season arrives, a growing number of so-called 'Hyupo-jok' (vacation abandoners) are postponing or canceling their vacations due to soaring prices. Facing record-breaking heatwaves amid high inflation, these individuals are choosing to spend time in cool large shopping malls instead of traveling, enjoying their leisure in various ways.

"No time and no money"... Increasing 'Hyupo-jok' who give up vacations

[Image source=Pixabay]

Although the so-called 'late July to early August' peak vacation season has arrived, some office workers are lamenting, "I've given up on this summer's vacation." Despite the reopening of air routes following the complete lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the burden of travel costs amid high inflation is discouraging many from traveling.

Kim Eun-jung (26), an office worker living alone in Guro-gu, Seoul, said, "I plan to visit my family home in Chungju, Chungbuk during the summer vacation," adding, "I was going to take a domestic trip, but I was worried about overpriced charges and the hot weather made me hesitant." She continued, "These days, just eating delicious food under a cool air conditioner feels like a vacation."

The burden of travel has increased further as the record-breaking heatwave coincides with the high inflation situation. In response to the continuous heatwave, the government activated Level 2 emergency operations of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (CDSCH) from the 3rd. This is the first time Level 2, rather than Level 1, has been activated for heatwave response.

Given these circumstances, many have not yet made summer vacation plans. According to an online survey conducted by PMI using the survey platform 'Unisurvey,' targeting 3,000 men and women aged 20 to 69 nationwide, 39.6% of respondents said they "have not yet decided on summer vacation plans." Another 33.8% responded that they "have no summer vacation plans." In other words, 7 out of 10 office workers either have no plans or are undecided about their vacation.

The reasons for not making vacation plans included ▲difficulty coordinating schedules (35.4%) and ▲financial burden (34.8%). Other reasons cited were ▲work/business obligations (17.5%) and ▲health concerns (11.0%).

'Mall-cance' trend rises as people seek large shopping malls to escape the heat

Amid the heatwave and high inflation, more people are enjoying "Molcance," a vacation at shopping malls. On the afternoon of the 2nd, citizens visiting The Hyundai in Yeouido, Seoul, are shopping and enjoying their vacation in the cool indoor environment. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Instead of taking vacations, an increasing number of people known as 'Mall-cance-jok' are spending time in cool large shopping malls. 'Mall-cance' is a portmanteau of 'shopping mall' and 'vacance' (vacation).

In fact, as people exhausted by the heat flock to department stores and outlets, visitor numbers have surged. According to the distribution industry, last weekend (29th-30th), when the daytime high temperature reached 36 degrees Celsius, the number of visitors to Lotte Department Store and Lotte Outlet increased by 10% and 15% respectively compared to the same period last year.

Typically, July and August are considered off-season for department stores as consumers tend to reduce visits during vacation periods. However, this year, those choosing to stay home instead of traveling abroad have turned to shopping malls, resulting in an unexpected boom for department stores.

On the 2nd, when the heatwave continued, citizens were reading books at the COEX Byeolmaru Library in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, which is well equipped with air conditioning facilities.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Lee Seo-young (27), an office worker who visited The Hyundai in Yeouido, Seoul last weekend, said, "I went to see the Raoul Dufy exhibition at The Hyundai and was surprised by the large crowd," adding, "Especially on the basement first floor, where cafes and bakeries are located, most stores had waiting lines."

Other popular alternatives include 'Docance' (vacation spent reading books at libraries) and 'Micance' (vacation enjoyed at art museums). These trends reflect people's desire to rest in well-air-conditioned indoor spaces to escape the deadly heatwave.

Concerns over summer vacation polarization

However, some point out that the polarization of summer vacations has become more pronounced than in the past. Despite the surge in Hyupo-jok due to soaring prices, demand for overseas travel remains strong.

According to Korea Airports Corporation's Gimhae Airport, the expected number of passengers during this month's peak summer vacation period (August 1?15) is 588,000, with 306,000 domestic and 282,000 international travelers. This is about 80% of the 738,000 passengers recorded in 2019 before the COVID-19 outbreak. On August 13, the daily average number of passengers is expected to reach 40,000, the highest since the pandemic began.

Especially since this is a rare opportunity to travel, some are willing to spend generously on their vacations. Premium products costing from several million to tens of millions of won are selling rapidly.

Hana Tour's high-end customized travel brand 'Zeus World' saw its sales in the first half of this year increase by 502% compared to the same period last year. Most travel packages offered by Zeus World exceed 10 million won in price.