South Korean travelers favor short-haul trips for Chuseok holiday

South Korean travelers are increasingly opting for short-haul destinations during the Chuseok holiday due to the limited four-day break and rising fuel surcharges. Data from travel platforms and agencies indicate that approximately 84% of international bookings are concentrated in short-distance regions including Japan, Southeast Asia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.

Japan has emerged as the most popular destination, accounting for 52.5% of all overseas travel bookings, a significant increase from 42.2% during the previous year. Southeast Asia follows at 21.3%, while Greater China represents 10.5%. In contrast, long-haul destinations such as Europe and the Americas have seen much lower interest, at 8.1% and 3.4% respectively.

Industry experts attribute this shift to the combination of a shorter holiday period compared to previous years and the increased cost of long-distance flights driven by rising international oil prices. Travel agencies are expected to focus on competitive short-distance packages for upcoming holidays in October.