With the first summer vacation season following the pandemic approaching, a survey has revealed that Seoul, South Korea, is rapidly emerging as a popular destination. The number of searches for Seoul by travelers worldwide has significantly increased, rising by 169% compared to the same period last year.
On the 13th, online travel agency Booking.com announced that Seoul ranked fourth among the most searched destinations. The analysis was based on search data from April 3 to 16, considering Koreans and global travelers during the summer vacation season (for stays in July and August).
Seoul exhibited the highest increase in search volume among Korean travel destinations, recording a 169% surge. Prior to Seoul, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka in Japan occupied the top three spots.
The nationalities of travelers searching for Korean destinations, including Seoul, were predominantly Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, American, French, Hong Kongese, German, Singaporean, Australian, and Russian.
Travelers from Taiwan and Hong Kong showed a staggering increase in their searches for Korean destinations, with 13,350% and 1,999% growth, respectively, compared to the previous year.
The most searched years and destinations by Korean travelers were Tokyo, Paris, Osaka, Danang, Singapore, and Bangkok.
Koreans' search volume for four Japanese destinations, namely Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo, experienced an increase of over 2,000%.
Among the top 10 destinations searched by Japanese travelers, most were cities within Japan. Seoul was the sole overseas destination to secure the seventh rank. The number of Japanese tourists visiting Seoul increased by 187% compared to last year.
Kim Hyun-min, head of Booking.com's Korean branch, stated, "Several indicators have shown that travel demand for Korea, renowned for its cultural value and high safety, has been increasing since the pandemic."
Surge in Searches and Tourist Arrivals Reveals Seoul’s Rising Popularity
Enter your details below to save your shopping cart for later. And, who knows, maybe we will even send you a sweet discount code :)