55% of TMON Customers Search for Overseas Travel Products Following Self-Quarantine Exemption News

40% of Respondents Say Actual Overseas Travel Possible in 'Second Half of This Year'... Southeast Asia Tops Desired Destinations

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Cheol-hyun] Expectations for overseas travel are soaring following the announcement of quarantine exemptions for incoming travelers. In a survey on overseas travel conducted by TMON, more than half of the respondents said they had looked into overseas travel packages.

According to TMON on the 1st, a survey conducted over one week from the 22nd of last month with 530 customers found that 55% of all respondents said, "I looked into overseas travel packages following the announcement of quarantine exemptions for incoming travelers." Despite the exemption news, 38% said they looked into "safe domestic travel," while only 7% chose to "stay home."

There were generational differences. By age group, the proportion of those who looked into overseas travel was highest among people in their 50s (66%) and those aged 60 and above (61%). On the other hand, the proportion choosing domestic travel was highest among those in their 30s and 40s (each 42%). This is interpreted as customers aged 50 and above, who relatively have more time and financial resources, rushing to prepare for overseas travel.

Additionally, 40% of respondents identified the second half of this year as the time they expect to actually travel overseas. Responses expecting the first half of next year (29%) and the first half of this year (11%) followed. With quarantine exemptions for incoming travelers and the easing of domestic social distancing policies, overseas travel demand is expected to surge starting this summer.

The most desired overseas travel destination was Southeast Asia (41%), followed by Europe (25%), Northeast Asia (14%), North America (12%), and Oceania (7%). The preferred overseas travel concept was "beach resorts" with a high preference of 37%. This was followed by "big city tours full of sights" at 24%, "local vibe small town trips" at 19%, "historical and cultural site exploration" at 16%, and "backpacking" at 4%. The most common travel companion type was "family" at 53%, and preferred trip durations were "5-6 days" (38%) and "more than a week" (30%).

When asked about the budget per person, the most common response was a practical amount of "500,000 to 1,000,000 KRW" at 44%. "1,000,000 to 2,000,000 KRW or less" accounted for 30%, and "over 2,000,000 KRW flex" reached 17%. In contrast, "under 500,000 KRW ultra-low budget travel" was only 9%.

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