Outbound
Travel Market
Report 2024
South Korea
2024 Korea Tourism Statistics
April 2024
Market Overview
The Rapid Recovery of South Korea’s Outbound Tourism Market: Reaching 94% of Pre-COVID Levels
In April 2024, the number of South Korean outbound tourists totaled 2.11 million, marking a 1.4% decrease from the previous month. Compared to the same month last year (February 2023), this represents a 47% increase. This figure also signifies a recovery to 94% of the peak number of visitors recorded in April 2021, before the pandemic, which saw 2.25 million tourists.
Despite April 10th being a public holiday due to the National Assembly elections in South Korea, the mid-week occurrence of the holiday seemed to have minimal impact on the outbound tourism market.
Source from Unsplash - Chadmin pictures
Monthly
Annual
By Gender Group
Evenly distributed by gender
Over the past year, South Korea’s outbound travel market has exhibited a consistent recovery following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth has been particularly pronounced during peak travel seasons, such as the summer vacation period and the winter break.
The gender distribution of South Korean outbound travelers is nearly equal, though during peak seasons, there is a trend of a 1 percentage point increase in the proportion of female travelers.
By Age Group
Significant Increase in Senior Tourists Over 50
In terms of age groups, the proportion of travelers in their 30s increased to 22% in April. Notably, the share of senior tourists in their 50s and 60s has grown significantly this year. As of April, travelers aged 50 and above accounted for 36% of South Korean outbound tourists, approaching the 38% share held by those in their 20s and 30s.
For a more detailed analysis of senior travelers, please refer to the <Senior Travel 2024> report.
Public Holidays in South Korea 2024
Korean Travelers Prefer Short Getaways Over Long Vacations
In South Korea, most employees work a five-day week from Monday to Friday, with extended vacations typically taken during the summer. The summer vacation period usually lasts up to seven days, including the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), but recently this period has become more flexible. Instead of taking long vacations of a week or more, Korean employees often use personal leave days during long weekends and holidays to create more frequent travel opportunities.
| Date | Day | Title | Total Days Off* | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1 | MON | New Year's Day | 3 | |
| February 9–11 | FRI ~ SUN | Seollal(Lunar New Year’s Day) | 4 | |
| March 1 | FRI | Independence Movement Day | 3 | Observed February 9- 12 |
| April 10 | WED | The 22nd National Assembly Election Day | 1 | |
| May 5 | SUN | Children's Day | 2 | |
| May 15 | WED | Buddha's Birthday | 1 | |
| June 6 | TUR | Memorial Day | 1 | |
| August 15 | TUR | Liberation Day | 1 | Observed on May 6 |
| September 16-18 | MON to WED | Chuseok | 5 | |
| October 3 | THU | National Foundation Day | 1 | |
| October 9 | WED | Hangeul Day | 1 | |
| December 25 | WED | Christmas | 1 |
This report has been prepared by the experts at LEMON.LAB Professionals™ (“LEMON.LAB”) to provide general information based on the data they have collected. Various procedures have been followed to verify the accuracy and reliability of the information included in the report, but its completeness is not guaranteed.
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