Travel booking data from the third quarter indicates that while both Vietnam and Japan remain two destinations with high demand for reservations throughout the period, the increase in the number of tourists choosing China is also remarkable, attributing this to many airlines’ resumption and expansion of flights to China during the summer.
For the third quarter of the year, for the first time ever reservation rates for Vietnam reached 13.7%, higher than that of Japan at 13.2%. Elsewhere, China ranked third in the list with 11.7% whilst Thailand came fourth at 7.1%, trailed by Mongolia.
The analysis also highlights that short-distance travel destinations accounted for 80% of all bookings during the 2024 summer travel peak season, especially the Chuseok (Mid-Autumn) holiday, the biggest annual holiday for Koreans from September 14 to September 22. During the holiday, 17% of Korean travelers booked destinations in Japan, with 14.7% choosing China and 14.4% selecting Vietnam.
A leader of Kyowon Tour Travel Easy stated that due to the impact of high inflation, more Koreans are showing a preference for short-distance overseas destinations during the holiday season or for an early vacation to avoid the peak season to lower the burden of cost.
