Travel Trend in Korea in 2017
It is not easy to have vacation for most Koreans from work. Most Koreans who work in the company are given very short vacation, but they can not enjoy it comfortably. The Korean economy, which grew rapidly in a short time, was driven by long hours of work. Although today's young Koreans are moving away from this type, most middle-aged(and old aged) Koreans are still familiar with it.
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▲ Source: https://www.gettyimagesbank.com ▲
TRIP chosen as balance between work and life
They also now realized the need to find a balance between work and life in order to better their lives. As a result, Koreans recently travel more frequently and travel periods are longer. They chose to travel as one of the ways to find a balance in their lives. Each year, the number of people leaving Incheon Airport is growing fast.(following reference1) In Korea, We can hear the news eaisily that the number of people leaving Incheon Airport is the highest ever since Incheon Airport opened.
▶ Reference 1
[Related article] Incheon airport's second terminal to open soon - The Korea Times : Eventually, to handle the high traffic volume and the tourists, Incheon Airport completed terminal 2 and opened in 2018.
[Related article] More than 110,000 people have left Incheon International Airport, the biggest ever.- The Seoul Economic Daily KOR VER : Eventually, to handle the high traffic volume and the tourists, Incheon Airport completed terminal 2 and opened in 2018.
▲ Air Busan, LCC Airline in Korea ▲
The way Koreans travel has changed a lot.
In the early days when Koreans begin to travel abroad, it was mostly difficult to get information about the trip abroad, Unlike now, many of Korean LCC airlines were almost nonexistent at the time. So, it was common for Koreans to go on package tours via travel agencies. However, many of them were not satisfied with package tours, so Young Korean travelers began to gather information about travel through the Internet. And as LCC airlines continue to launch in different cities in South Korea, the cost of transportation has begun to get cheaper.(following reference2) Of course, Koreans still choose to go on a package tour when they travel abroad. However, you can see that among Koreans, courses about FIT, Guide books, and a review by travel bloggers are popular. That means more and more people want to choose FIT and are already choosing them. For a long time, Koreans have accumulated experience of travel in various ways. It was a package tour, FIT, and halfway between package tours and FIT. However, no matter what the method was, Koreans have also been able to relieve stress and enjoy healing in their lives by traveling.
▶Reference 2
[Rrelated article] [Forecast 2018] Airline flight - Boom the demand for passengers & Reduce the burden of oil -Traveltimes KOR VER.: Korea`s proportion of international passenger transportation by LCC rose to 19.6 percent in 2016. And in 2017, it was the biggest growth ever. By October 2017, LCC has accounted for 25.9 percent of Korea`s international passenger traffic. If this trend continues, in 2018, domestic LCC airlines are forecast to account for 30 percent of Korea`s total international passenger transportation.
▲ Travel Trend How Big Data is analyzed in Korean, *Source: http://kto.visitkorea.or.kr/kor.kto ▲
Let's think about the big data from KTO.
A recent domestic tourism trend analysis that combines opinions from the Korea Tourism Organization, social big data and tourism experts can help us understand trends in Korean overseas travel. As a result, South Koreans ' traveling trend in 2017 has become very sensitive. Then, they chose to travel in a way that would help them balance their lives and work. So they experienced moments different from being with someone else all the time, enjoyed traveling as a daily routine, and chose travel as their extension of their lives. Koreans shared the experience of travel with acquaintances and strangers. They made a reasonable journey through moderate spending. And they chose travel as a means of gift to theirselves as a value consuming.
▲ Travel Trend Big Data Analytics Results (Comprehensive) *Source: http://kto.visitkorea.or.kr/kor.kto▲
From the big data of Korea Tourism Organization(=KTO), There are five keywords for 2017 Korean travel trend. These five keywords are the combined opinions of social and portal media experts in the big data analysis and tourism sector over the past two years. Among them, two keywords can explain Koreans ` overseas travel style in 2017.
Enjoy daily life as if you were traveling or travelling as if you were in a daily life
Travel Alone
▲ Young Korean travelers with a lot of travel experience
and influence over others are choosing to go to places with various personal tastes reflected. ▲
Young Koreans, in particular, go on a cafe tour or a bakery tour to enjoy their favorite coffee and delicious bread, reflecting their interests. To enjoy the daily pleasures of life abroad, many people chose a type of accommodation to make their local lives a reality. While choosing hotels centers around popular attractions, many Koreans have also checked that that there are various local shops(or restaurants) in alleys around the hotel. Korean travelers also expect great things from their overseas trips. However, they also want an atmosphere similar to the daily extension of travel. There are also many people who travel alone. One can also see enough of the high volume of keywords mentioned in search engines such as traveling alone or traveling alone by women.(Of course, there are many blog posts related to them.) To enjoy a short vacation and to enjoy a day's trip, The number of Koreans on a one-day trip abroad has also increased.(following reference3) The country Koreans most choose one day trip abroad is nearby Japan. In addition, many people chose Hong Kong as their destination for their one-day overseas trips using the early morning plane. What makes this incredible day trip abroad possible is, after all, the attractive promotional tickets of various LCCs. Unlike traditional travel that takes a long time, the use of only one day as an overseas trip, such as any other daily routine, is associated with the keyword of traveling like every day.
▶ Reference 3
[Related article] Rising volume of ' one-day trip to Japan ' on LCC - The Korea Economic Daily KOR VER
Increasingly, Koreans are choosing to make the trip customized for the individual. Although many are still choosing to go on package tours via travel agencies, the previous package tours offered by travel agencies have changed considerably. Travel agencies are trying to make a package tour to explore and reflect the tastes of many travelers to survive in the travel market. And the smarter younger generations enjoy their own designs of travel. And their travel style affects their friends, family, and people around them.
▲ Source: https://www.gettyimagesbank.com ▲
How Chinese travel? The change process is not much different from Korean.
The trend is the same for China. China has achieved economic growth at a tremendous rate. Based on it, many Chinese are now enjoying their overseas trip. In the early days when the Chinese began their journey, many people, like Koreans, chose to go on a package tour. They traveled to neighboring Korea and Japan, where they usually met via dramas or CF. However, gradually the way they traveled changed from young Chinese. They designed their own tours that reflect their tastes and began to choose their cities.
▶Reference 4
[Related article] More and more Chinese travelers are trying to live like locals.-the Hankyoreh KOR VER.
[Related article] Shopping patterns are changing from a sweeping purchase to a personal preference.- YTN KOR VER.
Asia is the center of attention in many ways. Asia has a large population and is the region that expects higher economic growth in the future than other regions. As the economy grows, many people try to change the quality of their lives based on their financial abilities. Travel is another way of life that many people choose, and culture. South Korea has gone through the process, and China is in the process. If many travel agencies around the world want to make such potential Asian travelers their consumers, travel agencies, hotels, and tourism agencies should intelligently design their own attractions. Travel in various ways should be unique and developed to add to the tastes of many. And you should be able to confidently suggest to your customers such different ways of travel.