Photo to aid understanding of the article. Clipart Korea
Demand for overseas travel during this year’s Chuseok holiday is concentrated on nearby destinations such as Japan and China. Analysts attribute this to a holiday period much shorter than last year, along with a high exchange rate and rising local prices that have increased travel expenses, prompting more travelers to choose regions with shorter travel times over long-haul trips.
According to an analysis of Chuseok holiday reservations (departures September 23-27) by Kyowon Tour’s Travel Easy, Japan accounted for 32.8% of all bookings, the highest share. China followed with 25.4%. Rather than using a long holiday to travel far as they did last year, travelers flocked to destinations they could visit comfortably within a limited schedule.
Japan in particular maintained its popularity as the weak yen continued and air routes steadily expanded. Demand rose not only for Tokyo and Osaka but also for regional smaller cities such as Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Wakayama and Tsushima, reflecting a trend toward more diverse travel destinations.
China also drew bookings centered on natural scenery products such as Zhangjiajie, Taihang Mountains and Baekdu Mountain. Scenic-area products accounted for 72.9% of China bookings, indicating strong preference among middle-aged and older travelers.
Southeast Asia, which had shown strength during every holiday period, saw its presence significantly diminished this Chuseok. Major destinations including Vietnam and Thailand all fell outside the top five in bookings.
Industry officials analyze that the burden of Southeast Asian travel, which requires itineraries of at least five days, increased due to the short holiday, while rising local prices and accommodation costs weakened the price competitiveness of the past. Although the region was strongly perceived as an inexpensive travel destination in the past, some say the cost gap with Japan has narrowed significantly as airfares and stay costs have risen together recently.
By contrast, Europe maintained its strength among long-haul travel. Centered on travelers using additional vacation days, bookings continued in the order of Northern Europe (8.8%), Western Europe (7.2%) and Southern Europe (4.5%), sustaining steady demand.
“Due to the short holiday and high exchange rate, nearby destinations with less travel burden and cost competitiveness are showing strength,” a Kyowon Tour official said. “We plan to expand confirmed-departure products for the Chuseok holiday to offer a variety of choices.”
The enthusiasm for travel to Japan is also confirmed in statistics. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), 9.46 million Korean tourists visited Japan last year, up 7.3% from the previous year. The upward trend continued this year, with 5.675 million visitors in the first half (January-June), an 18.6% increase from the same period last year.
The airline industry is also accelerating expansion of Japan routes to meet growing demand. Jin Air launches a new Incheon-Kobe route this month, and Parata Air operates the Incheon-Sapporo route daily. Aero K runs charter flights on the Cheongju-Hakodate route, and Eastar Jet also plans to add capacity centered on Tokyo and Fukuoka routes.
The industry expects Japan-centered travel demand to continue for the time being as the weak yen effect, expanded air supply and preference for independent travel converge. In particular, with Southeast Asian travel costs having risen, there are forecasts that Japan and China are likely to lead the short-haul overseas travel market in the second half of this year.
AloJapan.com