Where Do Others Go for Outings?... 1st and 2nd Places Are Gangwon and Gyeonggi Provinces

Yanolja, Reservation Data Analysis Results
Domestic Travel Demand Rises During May Golden Holiday
Popular Pension and Glamping in Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do Areas
National Expressway Traffic Volume Also Hits 5 Million Vehicles Daily

Photo unrelated to the article [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] With the golden holiday in May, the number of people enjoying domestic travel has surged. As the COVID-19 pandemic enters a stabilization phase, those tired of staying home since January are leaving the city and heading to nearby areas. However, individual caution is necessary to minimize face-to-face contact among travelers to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

On the 2nd, global leisure platform company Yanolja analyzed reservation data for the golden holiday period from April 30 to May 5 and found that the highest proportion of accommodation bookings was on the first day, April 30 (42%). This was followed by May 1 (25%) and May 2 (17%).

By region, Gangwon-do (22%) had the highest accommodation reservation rate. This was followed by Gyeonggi-do (12%), Jeollanam-do (11%), Gyeongsangnam-do (9%), and Jeju-do (8%), showing a well-distributed pattern nationwide. This result differs significantly from the same period last year, when about 40% of all reservations were concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area, including Seoul (21%) and Gyeonggi-do (18%). The most preferred cities included coastal cities such as Gangneung, Yeosu, and Sokcho, as well as Jeju-do and Gapyeong.

In the accommodation type survey, pensions ranked first with 47%. The usage rate of pensions, which was around 7% during last year’s holiday period, increased by more than 40 percentage points. This is interpreted as an increase in people preferring detached pensions where they can enjoy travel while practicing social distancing. Accommodations with low contact possibilities with other guests, such as glamping and pool villas, also gained popularity.

The Korea Expressway Corporation predicted that nationwide traffic volume would continue to increase from April 30, the first day of the golden holiday, through May 5. On the weekend day of May 2, the traffic volume on national expressways is expected to reach 5 million vehicles. Traffic from the metropolitan area to local areas is expected to be 460,000 vehicles, and from local areas to the metropolitan area 450,000 vehicles, indicating congestion in both directions compared to usual weekends. Especially, severe congestion is expected in the direction toward Seoul.

A Yanolja official said, "This year, travel patterns clearly emphasize safety and social distancing due to COVID-19. It is notable that areas near the metropolitan area accessible by private car, such as Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do, and detached accommodations where social distancing is relatively easy, are particularly popular."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.