Early May Sees Overlapping Golden Holidays in Korea, China, and Japan
Major Tourist Destinations Like Seoul, Busan, and Jeju Report Fully Booked Accommodations
With the upcoming "golden holiday" in early May, which will last up to six days, finding vacant rooms at major domestic hotels and resorts has become nearly impossible. This is because not only South Koreans but also tourists from neighboring countries such as Japan and China are expected to flock to Korea as their holiday periods overlap. Hotels and resorts in major tourist destinations like Seoul, Incheon, and Jeju are already seeing near-full booking rates as both domestic and international demand surges, and in some cases, only premium rooms priced above 700,000 won are still available.
According to the hotel industry on April 25, the Seoul Shilla Hotel, operated by Hotel Shilla, has already booked over 90% of its rooms for early next month, when Labor Day, Children's Day, and the substitute holiday for Buddha's Birthday overlap. The Jeju Shilla Hotel has also seen a significant increase in bookings since the beginning of this month, due to the nature of Jeju as a destination where travelers tend to plan ahead, and is currently recording a booking rate of around 90%.
During Korea's golden holiday period, Japan's "Golden Week" (from late April to early May) and China's "Labor Day" holiday (May 1-5) also overlap, pushing booking rates at other popular hotels in tourist destinations to around 90%. In the industry, when more than 90% of all rooms are filled?taking into account maintenance, repairs, and contingency situations?it is classified as a special peak period.
In Seoul, city hotels such as The Westin Josun Seoul and Four Points by Sheraton Josun Seoul Station and Myeongdong, operated by Josun Hotels & Resorts, are also reporting a 90% occupancy rate during the holiday. In Busan, The Westin Josun Busan and Grand Josun Busan have 90% of their rooms booked, while Grand Josun Jeju has reached an 80% booking rate.
At the Grand Hyatt Jeju within the Jeju Dream Tower Complex Resort, operated by Lotte Tour Development, the maximum number of room bookings per day during the holiday period reaches 1,454. This means about 91% of the total 1,600 rooms are filled. A Lotte Tour Development representative stated, "Even under normal circumstances, the proportion of foreign guests is relatively high, but with the overlapping holidays, there have been many bookings from Japan and the Greater China region," adding, "The lowest available room rate during the holiday currently starts in the 700,000 won range."
Lotte Hotel Jeju is also seeing an average daily booking rate of 88% to a maximum of 95% for May 1-5. Seoul city hotels operated by Lotte Hotels & Resorts, such as Seoul City Hotel and L7, have also reached full occupancy during the holiday period. Additionally, Kensington Hotel Yeouido, operated by Eland Park, is expected to have all 228 rooms fully booked during the holiday. Kensington Hotel Pyeongchang, Kensington Hotel Seorak, Kensington Resort Seorak Valley, Kensington Resort Seorak Beach, Kensington Resort Jeju Jungmun, and Kensington Resort Seogwipo in Gangwon and Jeju are also reporting an average booking rate of 95%. An Eland Park representative noted, "A notable feature this year is that the proportion of foreign guests in the Seorak area has increased by 30% compared to last year."
Large hotels near Incheon International Airport, the main gateway for foreign tourists entering Korea, are also expected to benefit from the holiday surge. Paradise City in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, has filled over 90% of its total rooms, including 711 hotel rooms and 58 luxury boutique hotel 'Art Paradiso' rooms. A Paradise City representative commented, "Traditionally, the proportion of Japanese guests has been high, and we expect many Japanese tourists, including those visiting the casino, to stay during this holiday period as well." Inspire Entertainment Resort, also located in Yeongjongdo, recorded a 95% booking rate during the holiday period.
An industry official stated, "In May, which is traditionally Family Month in Korea, domestic demand is usually much higher, but the proportion of foreign guests visiting Korea is steadily increasing," adding, "We also expect to see an increase in visitors to duty-free shops operated by some hotels, not just in room bookings."
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