Overseas Travel Boom... Major Travel Agencies' Last Year Passenger Numbers Soar

Hana Tour, 2.59 Million Annually... 385% Increase YoY
Modetour, About 1.314 Million... 327% Growth
Norangpungseon, 430% Increase... 95% Recovery Compared to Pre-COVID Levels

With the transition to endemicity (periodic outbreaks of infectious diseases), the number of overseas travelers has rapidly increased, leading major comprehensive travel agencies to achieve remarkable results last year. The number of outbound travelers, directly linked to company performance, reached its highest level since the outbreak of COVID-19. The travel industry, which successfully turned a profit from the first quarter of last year and breathed new life, is expected to continue its steady growth this year.

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 is bustling with international travelers. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

According to the related industry on the 4th, Hana Tour's annual outbound traveler count in 2023 was 2.59 million, a 385.2% increase compared to the previous year. The number of users who traveled overseas using the package products sold by the company also rose by 501.5% year-on-year, totaling 1.36 million.

Hana Tour's outbound traveler numbers gradually increased from the first quarter of last year, with a notable rise starting from the third quarter, which included summer vacation, holidays, and the Chuseok holiday. In the fourth quarter of last year, the number of outbound travelers using overseas packages reached 440,000, marking the highest quarterly figure for the year. During this period, the number of package travelers increased by 232% compared to the same period the previous year and by 25% compared to the previous third quarter, which is traditionally the peak season for the travel industry.

Based on the fourth quarter, regional preferences were Southeast Asia (47.8%), Japan (29.4%), China (7.9%), Europe (7.5%), South Pacific (5.5%), and the United States (1.9%). Among Southeast Asia, the top region, Laos (394%), Taiwan (217%), and Chiang Mai (214%) showed remarkable growth compared to the third quarter. The annual popular regions were Southeast Asia (45.4%), Japan (30.9%), Europe (9.6%), and China (6.3%), with nearby travel destinations ranking high.

A Hana Tour representative stated, "Due to the increase in short-distance flight seats, the number of outbound travelers increased every month last year," and added, "In the first quarter of 2024, the trend of increasing overseas travel is expected to continue with the stabilization of demand and supply."

Modetour's number of outbound travelers last year also increased by about 327% year-on-year to approximately 1.314 million. For departures in December, overseas package reservations were 88,240, and airline tickets were 47,081, rising by 106.3% and 97.5% respectively compared to the same period last year. This is the highest since February 2020, when COVID-19 first occurred.

By region, Southeast Asia accounted for more than half at 53.5%, followed by Japan (22.2%), Europe (8.8%), South Pacific and the Americas (8.6%), and China (5.3%). Regional growth rates compared to the previous year were Japan 794.9%, Southeast Asia 528.8%, Europe 209.8%, and South Pacific and the Americas 130.1%. The overseas package reservation rate for the first quarter of this year is also on the rise, increasing by 100.6% in January, 42.2% in February, and 112.8% in March compared to the previous year.

In addition, Norangpungseon's annual overseas traveler count last year increased by about 430% compared to the previous year. Norangpungseon stated, "Last year's outbound traveler numbers recovered about 95% compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic (global outbreak)."

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