Tmap Searches for Culture and Leisure Rise Amid Heat Wave
Golf Courses, Art Museums, and Sports Complexes See Increased Interest
Despite the record-breaking heat wave, the number of visitors to cultural and leisure facilities is increasing. This reflects a new consumer trend that prioritizes experience and activity over traditional summer vacation spots.
On July 17, Tmap Mobility announced that, based on an analysis of driving data for the two-week period from July 1 to 14 over the past three years, searches for cultural and leisure facilities stood out more this year than for traditional urban heat shelters such as department stores and large shopping malls.
In particular, the number of searches for golf courses surged by 50.9% year-on-year to 225,000, showing the most pronounced increase. This is an unexpected result, considering that the golf boom that occurred during the pandemic was thought to have subsided recently. In fact, the number of golf course searches decreased from 185,481 in 2022 to 149,303 in 2023, but rebounded again this year.
Industry experts point to the spread of "nighttime rounding" as the background for this recovery. As more consumers, especially in the Seoul metropolitan area, enjoy golf rounds after sunset to avoid the extreme heat, golf courses are once again emerging as a leading outdoor leisure option.
Cultural facilities such as art museums also recorded 141,633 searches, a significant increase from last year's 115,530. The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, which held Asia's first Ron Mueck retrospective, entered the top ranks of cultural facilities for the first time this year, while the Seoul Arts Center, which hosted the Marc Chagall special exhibition, remained among the top for the third consecutive year. The National Museum of Korea has also consistently ranked high as it emerges as a symbolic space for K-culture.
Interest in sports facilities that hosted large concerts or sporting events also increased. Searches related to general stadiums and gymnasiums, such as Goyang Sports Complex and Gocheok Sky Dome, where popular idol groups like BLACKPINK and NCT Dream held concerts, totaled 48,784.
A company representative analyzed, "Whereas previously there was a tendency to move mainly to indoor spaces such as large shopping malls to escape the heat, this year there is a clear trend toward valuing activity and experience."
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