Japan Continues to be Popular Tourist Destination for S. Koreans: Data

(image: Incheon International Airport Corp.)

SEOUL, May 14 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of South Koreans planning to travel to Japan during the summer months surged amid a weak Japanese yen and affordable tickets offered by low-cost carriers, industry data showed Monday.

According to the data compiled by Hana Tour, South Korea’s No. 1 travel agency, the number of reservations made for June came to some 139,000 as of Friday, with trips to Japan accounting for 23.7 percent of the total trips booked.

The number of reservations made for travel to the island country was up 21 percent from last year during the cited period, the company said.

Some 7.1 million South Koreans visited Japan in 2017, according to separate government data.

Those planning a trip to China also shot up 174.5 percent on-year after the comparable figure plunged last year amid a diplomatic row between Seoul and Beijing over a U.S. missile defense system, it added.

Mode Tour, another leading travel agency, said the reservations for trips to Japan in July and August rose 39.5 percent and 58.8 percent on-year as of Friday, respectively.

The number of reservations for China for the same months also soared 190.8 percent and 200.6 percent on-year, the company said.

(Yonhap)