Reservation Rush Spreads to Nearby Cities Amid Autumn Foliage Travel Demand
Nightly Rates More Than Double Compared to Usual
Demand Extends to Pensions, Pool Villas, and Motels
Securing a Hotel Room in Pohang and Ulsan Is Nearly Impossible
As the 2025 Gyeongju Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit Week, which will run until November 1, kicks off, not only Gyeongju, the host city, but also nearby areas such as Busan, Ulsan, and Pohang are experiencing an accommodation crisis. With more than 20,000 people-including leaders from 21 Asia-Pacific member economies, foreign and trade ministers, economic delegations, staff, and journalists-converging on the region, and with autumn travel demand overlapping, hotel and resort bookings in cities surrounding the venue have surged, making it nearly impossible to secure a room.
A sculpture announcing the event has been installed near the Gyeongbuk Gyeongju Arts Center, where the 2025 Gyeongju Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit will be held. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
According to industry sources on October 27, The Westin Josun Busan, operated by Josun Hotels & Resorts, has a room reservation rate of around 90% for the last week of October. Excluding rooms set aside for emergencies, the hotel is virtually fully booked. The five-star Paradise Hotel Busan also recorded a reservation rate of 87% for the same period. Lotte Hotel Busan, run by Lotte Hotels & Resorts, saw its room bookings rise by about 8% compared to the same period last year.
In Ulsan and Pohang, which are relatively close to Gyeongju, bookings have concentrated on hotels with lower star ratings, causing accommodation prices to rise above normal levels. According to Triple, a hyper-personalized travel platform operated by Nol Universe, a three-star hotel in downtown Pohang is charging mid-200,000 won per night on weekdays and mid-400,000 won per night on weekends during the event period. This is about twice as high as previous rates, which were in the low 100,000 won range on weekdays and mid-200,000 won on weekends. At a three-star hotel in Ulsan, the weekday rate for one night, which used to be in the low 100,000 won range, has also jumped to the mid-200,000 won range.
Resorts and other accommodations popular with families during the autumn foliage season have also been fully booked well in advance. For example, Sono Belle Cheongsong, operated by Daemyung Sono Group, and Kensington Resort Gyeongju, run by E-Land Park Kensington Hotels & Resorts, are fully booked through the weekend.
Sono Calm Gyeongju Hotel in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do underwent remodeling to attract VIPs ahead of the APEC Summit. Yonhap News
In Gyeongju, many of the four- and five-star hotels and resorts within the main venue area of Bomun Tourist Complex in Sinpyeong-dong are being used for official schedules and as accommodations for delegations from various countries. As a result, those wishing to stay nearby have to look for pensions or pool villas in more remote areas, and even these have seen significant price increases. At a pension about 30 minutes by car from the Bomun Tourist Complex, the weekend rate for one night reaches 550,000 won. Motel rates in the area, which used to be around 60,000 to 70,000 won, have more than doubled, fueling a broader surge in prices.
An industry insider stated, "There are many cases where overseas journalists visiting Korea for the APEC Summit are unable to find accommodations near Gyeongju and are forced to make last-minute reservations at relatively affordable hotels in surrounding areas such as Ulsan or Pohang. Even at three- or four-star hotels or business hotels in these nearby cities, which also accommodate general tourists, it is now only possible to book a room by paying a premium."
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