China Demand Triples... Clear Preference for Short-Distance Overseas Travel During Chuseok

Increase in Major Travel Agencies' Package Booking Rates
Continued Popularity of Southeast Asia and Japan... Expansion of China Market Share
Improved Conditions Such as Route Diversification and Visa Normalization

As more travelers plan to take overseas trips during next month's Chuseok holiday, major travel agencies are seeing an increase in package tour bookings. In addition to popular destinations like Southeast Asia and Japan, demand for trips to China has surged nearly fourfold compared to last year, reflecting a continued preference for short-haul routes.

According to the travel industry on the 23rd, Hana Tour reported that overseas package tour bookings for departures between September 13 and 15, ahead of this year's Chuseok holiday (September 16-18), increased by 10% compared to the first three days of last year's Chuseok holiday (September 28-30). By region, based on departures from September 13 to 22, Southeast Asia ranked first with 39% of bookings. Following were short-haul routes such as Japan (23%) and China (18%), while Europe accounted for 13%, reflecting the fact that travelers can take up to nine consecutive days off including annual leave. Among these, China showed a recovery trend with a 61% increase in booking rates compared to last year's Chuseok holiday.

Modetour reported that overseas travel bookings for departures between September 13 and 15 during this year's Chuseok holiday increased by 45% compared to the same period last year. Compared to the peak summer vacation booking period at the end of July and early August, demand also rose by about 20%. By region, Southeast Asia (42%), Japan (22%), China (21%), South Pacific & Americas (8%), and Europe (7%) were popular. While most regions maintained similar booking levels to last year, the proportion of bookings for China surged by 270%. Preferred destinations included Zhangjiajie (31%) and Mongolia (25%).

Norangpungseon also saw overseas package tour bookings for departures between September 13 and 15 increase about 3.5 times compared to the previous week, and approximately 20% compared to last year's Chuseok holiday. By region, Japan (25%), China (15%), Europe (14%), Vietnam (13%), the Philippines (7%), and Thailand (6%) were popular. The Philippines showed the highest growth rate with a 170% increase in bookings compared to last year's Chuseok, followed by China (100%↑), Japan (80%↑), and Vietnam (40%↑). A Norangpungseon representative explained, "As high inflation and interest rates continue, more customers seem to be choosing short-haul destinations to reduce travel costs."

Additionally, Kyowon Tour Travel Easy recorded booking rates during the Chuseok holiday period (September 14-22) similar to last year's holiday, with Japan ranking first at 20.9%. Following were China (14.3%), Vietnam (13.2%), Western Europe (8.9%), and Thailand (7.1%). A travel industry official explained, "With expanded flight routes and the normalization of visa issuance, bookings for travel to China have significantly increased compared to last year."

Meanwhile, major travel agencies are running their own promotions to expand customer demand during the third quarter, considered the industry's peak season, offering benefits such as early bird and first-come-first-served discounts for overseas travelers during the Chuseok holiday.

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