"Not Going Far"... 70% of Adults Choose Domestic Summer Vacation, Japan Preferred for Overseas Trips

Seven out of ten Koreans plan to travel domestically during their summer vacation, with Gangwon Province preferred for domestic trips and Japan favored for overseas travel.

Surfers enjoying surfing at Yangyang Hajodae Surfing-Only Beach

On the 25th, data consulting company PMI announced the results of a survey on this summer's vacation plans conducted among 3,000 men and women aged 20 to 69 nationwide. Among the respondents, 1,687, more than half, had travel plans during the summer vacation, and 70.8% of them planned domestic travel. Those planning overseas travel accounted for 18.6%, while 10.6% planned both domestic and overseas trips. The most selected domestic travel destination was Gangwon-do (31.3%), which includes Gangneung, Sokcho, and Yangyang. This was followed by Jeju (18.1%) and Busan (9.1%).

Yangyang in Gangwon-do is known as a sanctuary for surfers and has already become a popular travel spot among people in their 20s and 30s. PMI stated, "Travel to Gangwon-do is gaining popularity not only among people in their 20s and 30s but across all age groups, as it offers a chance to escape the city, experience a different atmosphere, and heal during a short trip." Although Jeju ranked second, image keywords such as ‘expensive’ and ‘overcharging’ reflecting high prices and related situations also appeared.

Among respondents planning overseas travel this summer, the most chosen country was Japan (37.3%). Due to the weak yen making travel expenses relatively cheaper and the advantage of close proximity, demand for travel to Japan continues. This was followed by Vietnam (13.5%), Thailand (7.4%), Singapore (3.9%), China (3.5%), and the Philippines (3.3%).