Seoul, South Korea – The unexpected declaration of January 27th as a public holiday has sparked an unexpected tourism boom in South Korea, just ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. With a minimum of six days off and the option to take just one additional day of leave, Koreans now have the opportunity to enjoy up to nine consecutive days of vacation.
According to tourism industry data released on January 9th, resort accommodations are already fully booked for the extended holiday period. Moreover, there has been a significant surge in new overseas travel bookings.
Kensington Resort in Goseong, Gangwon-do, for instance, has reported a complete sell-out for the entire Lunar New Year period, including January 27th. Ananti, which operates five resorts across the country including Busan, Namhae, and Gapyeong, expects to reach full occupancy within the next two weeks, with current booking rates hovering between 80% and 90%.
The recent downturn in overseas travel has also shown signs of recovery. The additional public holiday on January 27th has shifted the peak departure date for Lunar New Year trips from January 25th and 28th to the 27th. Additionally, there has been a notable increase in bookings for long-haul destinations.
Charmgood Travel reported a 39% increase in overseas travel bookings for January 27th compared to January 28th since the announcement of the additional holiday. The company has also observed a rise in bookings for long-haul destinations such as Europe and the Americas, which now account for 14% and 5% of total bookings, respectively, compared to the average of 10% and 3%.
"We've already seen the same booking numbers for the first three days of the Lunar New Year holiday as we did last year and the year before," said a spokesperson for Charmgood Travel. "Considering that there are still more than two weeks left for booking, we expect to see a 20% increase in overseas travel demand for the Lunar New Year holiday compared to last year."
Despite the positive outlook, travel agencies are exercising caution due to recent aviation accidents. Instead of aggressive marketing campaigns, they are focusing on improving their products and enhancing customer service.
"We're taking a more cautious approach," said a spokesperson for Hana Tour. "Nevertheless, we believe this could be a turning point for the tourism industry and we anticipate an increase in both domestic and international travel."
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