April 27, 2024

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(Park Ji-young/ The Korea Herald)

The upcoming Seollal holiday is expected to see a significant rise in foreign tourists visiting Korea, prompting travel agencies and relevant tourism industries to prepare for a mass travel rush.

According to global travel service provider Trip.com's report on Tuesday, reservation rates for foreign travelers between Feb. 9 to 12 have surged by approximately 40 percent, compared to the previous holiday season.

The increase encompasses various regions, with Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States leading the way, followed by Singapore, the United Kingdom, Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Among Korea's favored cities for foreign tourists, Seoul, Busan, Jeju Island, Daegu and Incheon are the top choices, followed by Pyeongchang, Cheongju and Chuncheon.

In terms of travel groups, the increase in family travelers is evident this year, as can be seen in the popularity of destinations such as Legoland Korea Resort, Everland Resort, Vivaldi Park and Elysian Gangchon Ski Resort.

"Taking into account recent travel demands for Korea that we've compiled, we aim to expand our bundled tourism options, including airfare and hotel packages, as well as independent travel packages excluding guided tours," Hong Jong-min, head of Trip.com's Korean office, said.

Streets of Seoul's Myeongdong bustle with both locals and tourists on Sunday afternoon. (Yonhap)

Meanwhile, the Korea Tourism Organization anticipates an influx of some 85,000 Chinese tourists during the Chinese New Year holiday, which takes place from Feb. 10 to 17 this year.

Among the Chinese visitors, trips to Seoul and Jeju Island have been chosen as the most popular destinations. In addition, this year, winter festival-linked offerings in Gangwon Province, where the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games was held in January, are also experiencing increased popularity.

To meet demand, the KTO is facilitating chartered flights from Shijiazhuang to Incheon before and after the holiday season, totaling 123 flights between Korea and China. Over 9,000 potential visitors have participated in pre-reservation promotions through online travel agencies as part of the KTO's marketing initiatives.

To enhance visitor experience, the KTO is running a month-long digital mobile pay promotion, offering up to 20 percent discounts at Alipay Plus affiliated stores in Seoul's Myeongdong area and ZeroPay stores nationwide.

"Our focus for this year will be on drawing in large and medium-sized travel groups, such as school trips for teenagers and sports events exchanges," Cho Hee-jin, KTO's international marketing department head, said. The KTO also aims to appeal to a broader range of individual Chinese travelers, including Millennials and younger Gen Z, or those born after the mid-90s, who show significant interest in traveling to Korea.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)