Travel sales for SE Asia, Japan sell out in South Korea

South Korean travelers are loosening their purse strings on the occasion of the Lunar New Year, with overseas travel sales for one of the biggest holiday seasons almost completely sold out.

The Lunar New Year holidays, beginning this Saturday, are the first major public holidays in Korea since social distancing measures have been lifted.

Southeast Asia and Japan are the most popular destinations for Koreans. They account for 54% and 30%, respectively, of overseas travel bookings for the holiday season up to now, industry officials said.

According to Hanatour Service Inc., the country’s leading travel agency, its travel sales for the Jan 21-24 holidays have increased by 70 times compared to the previous year’s level.

Some 15,000 customers have signed up for its overseas travel packages or tickets. 

“Of our travel sales in total, more than 90% of flight tickets departing on the first day of the New Year holidays are booked, said a Modetour Network Inc. official. “Particularly, Osaka-bound tickets have been selling out.”

Hanjin Travel Service, a travel agency of Korean Air Lines Co., said its charter flights arranged for golf tours in Kagoshima, Japan were fully booked as soon as they put them up for sale.

Still, the figures are about half the 2020 levels -- before COVID-19 hit the travel sector.

But industry officials said the rebound in travel demand was encouraging, given that the sector is still grappling with delayed flights and reduced workforce in popular destinations.

The spike in travel sales might indicate pent-up demand for travel, offsetting the impact of the economic downturn, they added.

Travel agencies are now revising sales strategies for the summer peak season as the industry is showing signs of recovery following a three-year slump.

“Considering the year-end and New Year’s sales, travel demand will likely reach 90% pre-pandemic levels, or more, this year,” said one of the industry officials.

“We will shift to more aggressive sales strategies than we did for last year’s winter season.”

But cooling relations with China could throw cold water on the sector.

China has stopped issuing short-term visas to Korean visitors in protest against South Korea’s entry restrictions on those arriving from China, which reopened its borders last week.

In response, Korean carries have shelved plans to increase China-bound flights.

Write to Ji-Hee Choi at mymasaki@hankyung.com
Yeonhee Kim edited this article