The digital travel platform Agoda reported that the number of searches by foreign travelers wishing to visit Korea during the summer, from June to August this year, is on the rise.
This increase in searches coincides with the periods when popular music festivals such as the Busan One Asia Festival, Waterbomb Daegu, and Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival are held. Busan recorded the highest number of searches among foreign travelers, followed by Jeju, Incheon, Daegu, and Gyeongju, making up the top five cities.
Among these, Busan, Incheon, and Daegu are hosting large-scale K-music festivals selected as part of the ‘Top 100 K-Culture Tourism Events’ designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization. These festivals are part of the government’s ‘2023-2024 Visit Korea Year’ initiative, aiming to allow tourists from around the world to experience and enjoy more of Korean culture.
According to Agoda search data, interest from inbound foreign visitors in each of these festival-hosting cities is on the rise, with travelers from Taiwan and Japan showing the highest growth rates.
Hiroto Ooka, Vice President of North Asia Supply at Agoda, stated, “As more travelers around the world seek out interesting events and experiences, travel for cultural events in Asia is gaining increasing attention, and this trend is also seen in Korea. Since Korea’s tourism strengths in K-pop, entertainment, K-food, and K-beauty are rooted in culture, K-culture is making a significant contribution to the potential of Korea’s inbound travel industry. Agoda will continue to strive to offer a wide range of activities, flights, and accommodations at more affordable prices so that travelers from around the world can experience Korean culture more conveniently and comfortably.”
Looking at Agoda’s data by region, in Busan, the presence of K-pop idols with large international fan bases, such as Zerobaseone and Boynextdoor, at the Busan One Asia Festival led to a 158% increase in searches for accommodation in Busan by foreigners during the festival period from June 7 to 9 compared to the same period last year.
During this period, travelers from Taiwan ranked first in searches for Busan, followed by Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and China.
During the Waterbomb period, Korea’s largest summer music festival, searches for Daegu increased by 270% year-on-year. Waterbomb Daegu, held on July 20, featured world-renowned K-hip-hop artists such as Loco, Gray, and Lee Youngji.
As with Busan, travelers from Taiwan and Japan ranked first and second, followed by China, the United States, and Hong Kong.
From August 2 to 4, the Pentaport Rock Festival will be held in Incheon. Searches for Incheon have increased 1.5 times compared to the same period in 2023, with Japan, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and the United States being the top countries of origin for searches.
The Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival is one of the three major “global festivals” designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and this year’s attendance is expected to surpass the 150,000 recorded in 2023.
Agoda offers a service that integrates bookings for more than 4.5 million vacation accommodations, over 130,000 flight routes, and more than 300,000 activities.
Travelers from around the world can conveniently plan their trips and enjoy a more comfortable and enjoyable experience in Korea, including participating in spectacular music festivals and other international mega-events, through Agoda.
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