Gone are the days of visiting Sapporo for snow... Newly spotlighted winter travel destinations

Popular Short-Distance Travel Destinations in Warm Weather
Overwhelming Popularity of Southeast Asia

As winter approaches, demand for winter overseas travel has shifted toward warm destinations. Industry analysts say interest in short-distance resorts where travelers can spend the cold winter warmly has increased.

According to a survey conducted on the 16th by the global travel app Skyscanner targeting Korean travelers considering year-end travel destinations, there was a high preference for short-distance destinations with warm weather. Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan, which has long been considered a representative winter travel destination and ranked first last year, dropped to third place, while destinations such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Bohol in the Philippines newly entered the rankings.

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan, which has long been considered a representative winter travel destination and ranked first last year. Getty Images

Taipei, Taiwan, had the highest preference at 11.5%. This was followed by Bangkok, Thailand (9.3%), Sapporo, Japan (8.8%), Hong Kong (8.2%), Nha Trang, Vietnam (6.4%), Chiang Mai, Thailand (6%), Bohol, Philippines (5.8%), Da Nang, Vietnam (5.6%), and Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (5%).

As a result of a survey on preferences for winter overseas travel, Taipei, Taiwan ranked the highest at 11.5%. Getty Images

A similar trend was observed in Interpark Tour, operated by Interpark Triple. The most booked overseas package travel destinations by customers traveling until the end of this year were Bangkok and Pattaya (18.1%). This was followed by Da Nang (18.0%), the Mediterranean (13.1%), Phu Quoc (9.6%), and Chiang Mai (8.6%).

Except for the European Mediterranean, four of the top five destinations are all in Southeast Asia. Southeast Asia is a popular travel destination year-round, but especially in winter, the tendency to seek warm resorts becomes prominent, marking the high season. This year, the popularity of Da Nang, Vietnam, jumped significantly compared to last year. The strong performance of the European Mediterranean was also notable. Long-distance travelers to Europe seem to prefer warm regions to avoid the cold weather in Western and Eastern Europe.

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 duty-free area is bustling with travelers and others. Yonhap News

Yeom Soon-chan, head of the Interpark Triple Tour Package Group, explained, “As we enter the winter high season, inquiries are rapidly increasing not only from customers wanting to escape the cold and travel to warm Southeast Asia but also for Taiwan and Hokkaido.” He added, “For long-distance travel, Mediterranean destinations, which are steady sellers in winter, along with Turkey-related products, are gaining attention.”

Jessica Min, a travel trends and destination expert at Skyscanner, shared airline ticket booking tips, saying, “For travelers who want to travel at reasonable prices even during the year-end peak season, it is good to use the ‘whole month’ search function to check for relatively cheaper flight prices during December and flexibly adjust their schedules.”