"Japanese Travel, Not Like Before" Koreans Turning Away... Changing Course to Go Here Instead

Announcement of May Golden Holiday Overseas Travel Trends
Preference for Long-Distance Trips with Up to Six Days Off
Japan Falls Behind Due to Strong Yen and Rising Prices

On January 24, ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday including the temporary public holiday, travelers visiting Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 were lining up to move to the boarding concourse.

The status of Japan, the most popular overseas travel destination for Koreans due to its close proximity and relatively low cost, is declining. Ahead of the May golden holiday, travel preferences for Europe, Vietnam, and China are becoming prominent, while Japan is showing signs of slowing new demand amid the strong yen.

On the 19th, Kyowon Tour's 'Travel Easy' announced the 'Golden Holiday Overseas Travel Trend' based on an analysis of travel reservation data (departure basis) from May 1 to May 6. The first week of May includes several holidays such as Labor Day, Children's Day, Buddha's Birthday (5th), and substitute holidays (6th). Including weekends, it is possible to take four days off without using annual leave, and by using one day of annual leave, a maximum of six days off can be achieved, creating a 'golden holiday.'

Europe was first cited as a popular travel destination for the golden holiday, accounting for 21.4% of total reservations. This is analyzed as a result of increased demand for long-distance travel by attaching annual leave to the holidays. In particular, Western Europe, which boasts high preference, and Northern Europe, which has gained interest through various travel entertainment programs, showed a high proportion of reservations.

Vietnam ranked second with 16.1%, supported by family travel demand. This is interpreted as families with children choosing Vietnam, including Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Phu Quoc, to celebrate Children's Day. Nha Trang and Phu Quoc were found to have a high proportion of free travel product reservations. This is because family customers flocked to enjoy leisure while staying at luxury resorts.

Vietnam stock photo. Pixabay

Next, China, which has shown solid growth since the implementation of visa-free entry, ranked third with 13.3%. Especially Zhangjiajie and Baekdu Mountain drove the increase in demand. This was thanks to the rise in scenic area tourism demand combined with warmer weather. As family travel demand during the golden holiday concentrated in Southeast Asia, the proportion of city travel destinations such as Shanghai, Qingdao, and Dalian was low. Thailand, a popular Southeast Asian travel destination along with Vietnam, ranked fourth (12.7%), and Taiwan, preferred by various age groups, ranked fifth (7.6%).

It is also noteworthy that Japan, which had previously boasted high preference, showed weakness by ranking sixth (7.5%). The ongoing strong yen appears to have affected the slowdown in new demand. However, since Japan has a short lead time (the period from reservation to check-in), new customer inflow is expected to continue until before the holiday, potentially causing ranking changes. Australia followed, ranking seventh with 5.3%. Australia’s advantage lies in relatively short itineraries and relatively affordable product prices. Additionally, Saipan (3.3%), Singapore (2.4%), and Mongolia (2.3%) ranked eighth to tenth, respectively.

A Kyowon Tour official said, "During this May golden holiday, since using one day of annual leave allows for up to six days off, overseas travel demand is continuously increasing," adding, "Considering the lead time, new reservations are expected to concentrate on short-distance travel destinations such as Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Taiwan."