Tourists walk past the Tsutenkaku Tower in Osaka, Japan. AFP-Yonhap
Nearby overseas destinations such as Japan and Vietnam are winning travelers’ favor this Chuseok holiday. While travel demand has surged, spending has fallen, with the average per-person travel budget dropping 250,000 won ($180) from a year earlier. Even with the long holiday, actual trips average just 3.3 days, reflecting a growing preference for short, budget-conscious getaways to nearby places.
Travel searches surge 92%, but average trip lasts 3.3 days
According to a survey of 1,000 Korean travelers by global travel app Skyscanner released on the 22nd, 56% of respondents said they plan to travel during this year’s Chuseok holiday.
Actual travel demand has also risen sharply. Searches for flights departing Korea between September 13 and October 3 this year rose 92.4% from searches for the comparable period around last year’s Chuseok. The comparison covers searches made between January 1 and July 31 in each of the two years.
Still, travelers do not appear to be spending the entire long holiday on travel. Respondents planned to take an average of 2.9 days of paid leave around Chuseok to secure up to about eight days off, but their actual trips averaged just 3.3 days.
Asked why they were not using their remaining time off for travel, 61% cited “wanting enough rest before returning to daily life after a trip.” Even with a long holiday, many prefer to divide their time between travel and rest rather than extend the trip itself.
Travelers have also become more flexible about when to go. Between the late-September Chuseok holiday and the early-October holidays for National Foundation Day and Hangeul Day, 30% chose the Chuseok holiday and 25% chose the early-October holidays. Another 22% said they would travel during whichever period was cheaper.
Per-person budget falls from 1.58 million to 1.33 million won as nearby spots like Tokyo, Nha Trang gain popularity
Unlike the rise in travel demand, expected spending has declined. In the Skyscanner survey, the average per-person budget for this year’s Chuseok holiday trip was about 1.33 million won, down 250,000 won from 1.58 million won a year earlier.
“Cost” was also the most frequently cited factor in travel planning, chosen by 25%. Asked how they save on travel expenses, 35% said “choosing a destination with lower prices.”
This spending pattern also showed up in destination choices. Based on Skyscanner search data, the most popular destination was Tokyo, Japan, accounting for 17.8%, followed by Nha Trang, Vietnam, at 13.9% and Sapporo, Japan, at 13.8%.
Next came Shanghai, China at 10.2%, Taipei, Taiwan at 9.0%, Da Nang, Vietnam at 7.4%, Sydney, Australia at 7.3%, Bangkok, Thailand at 7.0%, Phu Quoc, Vietnam at 6.9% and Osaka, Japan at 6.7%. Most of the top 10 were Asian destinations with relatively short flight times.
A similar trend appeared in package tour bookings. Among Chuseok product bookings at Kyowon Tour’s Travezy, Japan accounted for the largest share at 32.8%, followed by China at 25.4%. At Yellow Balloon, Shanghai, China ranked first at 37.1% and Hokkaido, Japan second at 30.5%.
Families head to nearby spots; Japan destinations expand to smaller cities
This Chuseok also saw notable demand for family overseas travel. Yellow Balloon’s Chuseok holiday package booking data showed that family trips accompanied by adult children were the most common at 25.5%. Three-generation family trips involving grandparents, parents and children accounted for 22.9%.
The two types combined made up 48.4%, close to half of the total. Next came married couples and partners at 22.6%, couples’ gatherings at 10.9%, families with young children at 6.9%, trips among female friends at 6.5% and solo travel at 4.7%.
Japan travel in particular is broadening its options from established favorites such as Tokyo and Osaka to surrounding areas. An analysis of 2026 Chuseok holiday booking data by Rakuten Travel found that the Japanese destinations Koreans booked most were Fukuoka, Oita, Hokkaido, Tokyo, Okinawa and Hyogo, in that order. Fukuoka rose to first this year from third a year earlier, and Oita, home to hot-spring resorts such as Beppu and Yufuin, ranked second.
Jessica Min, a travel expert at Skyscanner, said the continued popularity of nearby Asian destinations reflects travelers’ practical mindset of using short flight times to extend their stays on the ground and taking advantage of relatively low prices to cut travel costs.
AloJapan.com