Recent data from Mode Tour has revealed that the number of South Korean seniors who traveled abroad last year accounted for 18.5 percent of all outbound tourists, up nearly 1 percent. (Image Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Korea Bizwire) – More South Koreans over 60 years of age are traveling abroad than before, as the number of active seniors is on the rise.
Recent data from Mode Tour has revealed that the number of South Korean seniors who traveled abroad last year accounted for 18.5 percent of all outbound tourists, up nearly 1 percent.
The number of travelers over 60 years of age has been on a steady rise in South Korea over the last few years, with the figure jumping from 14.8 percent in 2014 to 17.7 percent in 2016.
Popular tourist destinations include nearby countries such as Japan, China and Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
Around 40 percent of senior travelers visited Southeast Asian countries, while 24 percent went to Japan in 2017. China, which was the most popular holiday destination in 2016, slipped to the third position on the back of political tensions surrounding the deployment of THAAD anti-missile systems in South Korea.
Senior travelers to Europe and North America accounted for 9.7 percent and 3.8 percent, respectively, of total visitors to these regions.
Against this backdrop, Interpark Tour is offering discounts for seniors for the first time in the South Korean tourism industry.
Using the discounts, senior travelers can obtain savings of up to 7 percent for holiday packages in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
