Gangneung Hotels Jump from 80,000 Won to Over 600,000 Won... Korea, China, Japan Golden Holiday Already Fully Booked

Five-Day Holiday in Early May Including Labor Day
Japanese Golden Week and Chinese Labor Day Holidays Coincide
Major Tourist Hotels and Resorts Near Full Occupancy
Minimum Room Rates Soar More Than Sevenfold
Fierce Competition for Room

With the return of the upcoming 'golden holiday' period, which will last for up to five days in early May, major domestic hotels and resorts have recorded reservation rates approaching full occupancy. Due to the ongoing Middle East conflict, both exchange rates and oil prices have risen, which has led to increased demand for domestic travel instead of overseas trips. In addition, the holiday period in neighboring countries such as Japan and China coincides with Korea's, resulting in an influx of foreign tourists visiting Korea. As a result, only high-priced rooms costing nearly 2 million to 3 million won are available at premium accommodations, and the prices of rooms in key tourist destinations have surged to as much as seven times higher than usual.

Foreign tourists, including those from Japan and China, are arriving at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

According to the industry on April 29, L7 Myeongdong by LOTTE Hotel and Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong, both operated by LOTTE Hotels & Resorts in central Seoul, as well as Lotte Resort Sokcho and Lotte Resort Buyeo, have all but reached full occupancy, with more than 95% of rooms booked for May 1 to 4. Lotte Hotel Jeju and Lotte City Hotel Jeju also have reservation rates of around 90%.

During the same period, the room occupancy rate at major locations managed by Josun Hotels & Resorts in Seoul, Busan, and Jeju exceeded 85%. Major hotels and resorts operated by E-Land Park Kensington Hotel & Resort in Seoul, Seorak in Gangwon Province, Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province, Hadong in South Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju also surpassed 90% occupancy, nearing full capacity. In this industry, it is generally considered a special peak when more than 90% of rooms are filled, taking into account maintenance, repairs, and contingency needs.

Starting this year, Labor Day (May 1) has been designated as a statutory holiday, so by taking a single vacation day on May 4, people can enjoy a five-day break that includes Children's Day (May 5). This has led to a surge in domestic travel demand, with many people quickly securing accommodations early. In addition, Japan's 'Golden Week' (a string of holidays from late April to early May) and China's 'Labor Day' (May 1–5) overlap with the same period, making it even harder to find available rooms.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of Japanese tourists expected to visit Korea during this golden holiday period is projected to be between 80,000 and 90,000, an average daily increase of 18% to 20% compared to the same period last year. The number of Chinese tourists visiting Korea is also expected to reach 100,000 to 110,000, representing a 22% to 32% increase over last year's holiday period.

For example, at Grand Hyatt Jeju, located in the Jeju Dream Tower Complex Resort operated by Lotte Tour Development, up to 1,550 out of a total 1,600 rooms were occupied on peak days in early May, with more than 70% of the guests identified as foreigners. At Paradise City, a complex resort in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, demand from Japanese tourists—who make up a significant portion of casino customers—helped fill over 90% of the 769 rooms. Additionally, Hyatt Regency Incheon Paradise City, which Paradise acquired and reopened last month after renovations, recorded near-full occupancy for all 501 rooms for the first time since its renewal.

An industry representative said, "As interest in traveling to Korea has grown among foreign tourists, reservations have become more widely distributed not only in traditionally popular destinations such as Seoul, Busan, and Jeju, but across the country, including Gangwon Province, which is favored by domestic travelers. The purposes of travel among foreigners are becoming more diverse, such as climbing Seoraksan Mountain or running along the coast, and there is a growing trend, similar to Japan, of traveling to smaller cities."

Room prices for remaining available accommodations in major tourist areas have also soared. According to Triple, a hyper-personalized travel platform operated by Nol Universe, the lowest price for an Executive Grand Deluxe Room at The Shilla Seoul on May 2—the peak of the holiday—is set at 1.86 million won per night. This room, which includes access to the lounge and outdoor pool, normally costs about 600,000 won per night on weekdays in May, making it more than three times more expensive during the holiday. At Grand Hyatt Jeju, only suites costing nearly 3 million won are available. Similarly, at Shilla Stay Haeundae, the lowest-priced reservation, which was 159,000 won on regular May days, has risen to 593,000 won during the golden holiday period. At Skybay Hotel Gyeongpo in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, the lowest weekday rate in May is 82,000 won per night, but it has jumped to 607,000 won during the holiday, more than a sevenfold increase.

An industry official stated, "With rising demand for rooms in major tourist destinations, even customers with resort memberships are finding it difficult to book their desired dates, so competition for hotel rooms without distinctions between members and non-members has become even more intense. With foreign tourist numbers steadily increasing, bookings are already filling up for the summer high season and beyond."

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