사진 확대 Night view of Osaka’s leading tourist attraction, Dobontori Canal / Photo = Clip Art Korea
Instead of traveling alone, there is an increasing number of substantial trips that share costs together.
Hotels Combine made the announcement as it announced travel trends for the fourth quarter of 2025.
As high prices continue, travel consumption patterns also seem to change. Instead of traveling to Europe for a long distance of more than 1 million won, the strategic travel plan centered on “cost-effectiveness” is becoming more pronounced, such as turning to Japan or Southeast Asia in the range of 300,000 won to 400,000 won.
Global hotel search platform Hotels Combine and global travel search engine Kayak analyzed travel search data for Korean travelers from January 1 to September 30, 2025, and the number of tickets searched for more than three people surged 77% year-on-year.
사진 확대 Fukuoka cityscape / Photo = Clip Art Korea
Japan’s air ticket search volume topped the list overwhelmingly, recording about 2.7 times that of second-place Vietnam. Osaka, which has an average ticket of about 290,000 won, was ranked as the most popular city after Tokyo with the second highest search volume.
Vietnam has emerged as a strong alternative destination for Japan, ranking second in flight ticket searches. It is being selected by travelers who want a “cost-effective beach vacation” with an average ticket price of about 300,000 won and low local prices.
The number of tickets searched for three or more people increased 77% year-on-year, the highest growth rate. The trend of “traveling together” is spreading, with search volume for two-person tickets also increasing by about 37%.
This seems to have contributed to the popularity of sharing local expenses such as accommodation and food expenses together and enjoying substantial cost savings per person.
On the other hand, the share of single-person flight ticket searches decreased by about 11%, and “traveling with friends and family members” has become a key keyword for autumn and winter travel in 2025.
사진 확대 Luxury resort scenery on the coast of Da Nang, Vietnam / Photo = Clip Art Korea
Japan is leading the overseas travel market this fall by dominating the top flight ticket search volume.
By major cities, search volume was high in the order of Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, and the total number of Japanese ticket searches was about 2.7 times higher than that of Vietnam, which came in second.
The average ticket price was about 450,000 won in Tokyo, 290,000 won in Osaka, and 390,000 won in Fukuoka, and Japan was highly popular as a low-cost and short-range destination.
Osaka has excellent access to nearby tourist destinations such as Kyoto and Nara, serving as a key gateway for “cost-effective travel to Japan,” while Fukuoka absorbs short-term travel demand with a flight distance of about an hour and a half from Incheon.
The continued low yen and excellent access have solidified Japan’s solo system, making it the most affordable travel destination for Korean travelers.
In contrast to the increase in average ticket prices in major cities in Thailand, which was the representative of cost-effective travel to Southeast Asia in the past, Vietnam still has a price advantage as it can be visited at a lower price of around 300,000 won.
Another strength of Vietnam is that it can reduce overall travel expenses due to low local food and transportation costs as well as average ticket prices.
Among them, Danang has established itself as a representative city for cost-effective recreational travel as it is priced in the 300,000 won range and allows visitors to experience beach resorts and Hoi An Godo City, a world heritage site.
“In order to reduce the burden of travel costs in the era of high prices, group travel with each other has increased significantly, and Japan and Vietnam, which are close and inexpensive, are popular,” said Choi Ria, Managing Director of Hotels Combine Marketing.
AloJapan.com