Skyscanner Flight Search Volume Analysis
Tainan, Taiwan Ranks 1st with 813% Year-on-Year Increase
Growing Interest Focused on Less Noticed Areas
Tainan, Taiwan is gaining significant interest as a preferred travel destination for those planning overseas trips next year. Demand is expected to increase for destinations that have received relatively less attention, instead of popular regions frequently visited by Koreans such as Da Nang, Vietnam, and Osaka, Japan.
On the 19th, global travel application Skyscanner analyzed the volume of flight ticket searches by Korean users from January to June this year and found that the proportion of searches for Tainan as a destination increased by 813% compared to the same period last year, ranking first overall. Skyscanner believes that a higher volume of flight searches indicates a greater likelihood of increased future visitors.
Overseas travelers are checking their flight schedules at the departure hall of Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@
Tainan, located in southern Taiwan, is a short-distance travel destination where visitors can experience historical sites and traditional culture. It is known for its developed food culture and as a filming location for the movie "Your Name Engraved Herein," attracting many Korean tourists. Following Tainan, Okayama, Japan ranked second, with search volume increasing by 486% compared to the same period last year.
Other destinations with more than double the search volume compared to last year include Lijiang, China (418%), Marseille, France (371%), Oita, Japan (358%), Aomori, Japan (226%), Tromsø, Norway (130%), Macau, China (116%), Phu Quoc, Vietnam (109%), and Rotterdam, Netherlands (107%), forming the top ranks.
Skyscanner explained, "Destinations that were previously overlooked are now emerging as popular travel spots among Korean travelers. This shows that Koreans continue to seek out new regions."
For example, Lijiang, a highland city in China, is famous for the Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and has recently attracted interest among Korean travelers. Tromsø, located in the Arctic Circle of Norway, is renowned as a night view tour spot where visitors can experience the aurora borealis, midnight sun, and polar night directly from the city.
Skyscanner also recommended cost-effective travel destinations based on round-trip economy class airfare prices, highlighting places where travel is relatively affordable. The top spot is Almaty, Kazakhstan, where airfare prices in the first half of this year dropped by 63.9% compared to the same period last year. Following are Marseille, France (-57.4%), Chongqing, China (-40.3%), Brisbane, Australia (-34.2%), Istanbul, Turkey (-32.7%), Adelaide, Australia (-32.4%), Dallas, USA (-30.5%), Amsterdam, Netherlands (-28.1%), and Vientiane, Laos (-27.7%), all regions where airfare prices have decreased.
According to a survey conducted with 1,000 app users, 69% of travelers consider airfare and hotel costs as the most important factors when choosing a destination. Fifty-three percent of respondents said they plan to travel overseas more next year than this year, while 26% plan to travel at a similar level. Additionally, Koreans indicated they plan to allocate about 44% more budget for flights and 40% more for accommodation compared to this year when planning overseas trips next year.
A Skyscanner representative stated, "Despite the heavy cost burden due to high inflation, it can be seen that Koreans still consider travel an important part of their daily lives."
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