Korean travelers favor nearby Asia as Europe, North America lose ground
Lee Ji-yeon, an office worker in her 30s, traveled solo to Japan's Kyoto in early October. She had considered destinations such as Canada and Australia, but ultimately opted for a shorter trip closer to home. "It was difficult for me to take a long day off work, and considering the cost of airfare, I thought it would make more sense to take a short trip to a nearby country," she said. A Seoul…
Solo traveler Lee Ji-yeon, in her 30s, chose to visit Japan's Kyoto over distant destinations like Canada and Australia. The shorter, nearby trip seemed more feasible due to work constraints and the high cost of airfare. Meanwhile, a 60-year-old Seoul resident named Park plans to travel to Hong Kong with friends in December. Park finds long-distance travel physically exhausting, leading her to rule out European and North American destinations.
These travel preferences mirror a larger trend among Koreans. According to data from BC Card, Japan and China are increasingly attracting Korean tourists, while Europe and North America are witnessing a decline in their popularity. As of the first half of the year, Asia accounted for 74.3 percent of Koreans' overseas travel spending, up from 60.4 percent in the comparable period last year.
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.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
