Experiential travel drives Korea's tourism growth
When travelers book an overnight stay in Korea today, the real decisive factor is no longer the quality of the hotel room, but what lies beyond its front door. According to a comprehensive study released Monday by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), overnight stays across the country grew by 5.1 percent over the past three years. This expansion was overwhelmingly driven by foreign visitors,…
A recent comprehensive study by the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) reveals that overnight stays in Korea have experienced a remarkable 5.1% growth over the past three years. This surge in overnight stays has been primarily driven by foreign visitors, with their stays increasing by an impressive 29%, which is fifteen times the growth rate of domestic travelers at 1.9%.
Despite domestic tourists still making up 85.4% of total room nights, it is international travelers who have become the primary catalyst for industry growth. The KTO utilized big data from telecommunications, credit card transactions, and lodging platforms in its Data Lab initiative to uncover a significant shift in traveler behavior.
Reservations for properties tied to external leisure experiences have skyrocketed over the three-year period, with golf-themed lodging bookings surging nearly 200%, hot springs properties rising by 98.9%, and water park accommodations growing significantly as well.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Experiential travel drives Korea's tourism growth koreatimes.co.kr
