"Up to 400% Increase"… Overseas Golf Packages Soaring, Southeast Asia is the Trend

Travel Agency Product Bookings Soar for Winter Season
Preferences for Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines
Better Cost-Effectiveness Than Japan Despite Higher Airfare and Green Fees

As the winter season approaches and major golf courses nationwide enter their winter break, demand for golf trips to warm countries is increasing. Domestic comprehensive travel agencies specializing in outbound travel (overseas travel by Koreans) are expanding package products that combine golf and overseas travel, with some companies enjoying a boom, seeing reservation rates increase more than fivefold compared to the same period last year.

Kyowon Tour Travel's Cambodia Golf Package [Photo by Kyowon Tour]

According to the industry on the 23rd, direct-sale travel agency Norangpungseon’s golf package reservation rate targeting the winter season increased by more than 400% compared to the same period last year. Earlier, the reservation rate for golf travel products sold by the company from January to October this year surged over 600% compared to the same period last year. This figure is about 35% higher than the same period in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak. A Norangpungseon official said, "The peak season for golf package products is usually from December to March of the following year," adding, "We expect reservation rates for related products to increase further until early next year."

Modetour also saw its winter season golf package reservation rate increase by 150% in December compared to the same period last year, and reservations for January to February next year rose by 260%. The overall peak season reservation rate from December this year to February next year increased by about 160% compared to the same period in 2019, before COVID-19. Kyowon Tour’s 'Travel Easy' also experienced a 74% increase in golf package reservations in the fourth quarter compared to the same period last year, and a 405% increase compared to the previous third quarter, showing an upward trend.

Hanatour, due to the endemic transition and the sharp surge in overseas travel demand since the second half of last year, has a winter season golf package reservation rate similar to or slightly below the same period last year. However, it expects to surpass last year’s performance if bookings continue into early next year. A Hanatour official said, "We have secured about 5,000 airline seats for major destinations exclusively for winter golf package users and are preparing additional related products."

Golfers showed a preference for Southeast Asia as their overseas golf package destination. Among Hanatour product users departing from December this year to February next year, the most selected region was Thailand, including Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang Mai, accounting for 46.8%. This was followed by Vietnam (22.0%), Japan (8.1%), the Philippines (7.3%), Laos (5.3%), and Saipan (5.1%).

Kyowon Tour’s Travel Easy ranked the Philippines first with 46.4% of total reservations, followed by Saipan at 39.0%. Next were Thailand (4.9%), Malaysia (4.7%), Vietnam (2.2%), Japan (1.9%), Laos (0.5%), and China (0.3%). Modetour also ranked Southeast Asian regions such as Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam as first, second, and third, followed by Japan, Kota Kinabalu, Laos, and Saipan. Norangpungseon’s top destinations also included Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Major travel agencies are competing to attract more golfers by offering charter flight packages to popular destinations, accommodations at local 5-star hotels, late check-out, unlimited rounds, and free travel options. An industry insider explained, "Japan, which is also popular as a general overseas travel destination, is difficult to secure airline seats for, and ticket prices and local green fees have risen significantly, making the cost per person for a golf package nearly 1.5 million KRW even for a short schedule. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, offers relatively many 'cost-effective' products and a wider range of choices, making it popular."

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