As of last week, there had been 13,345 online posts thus far this year related the keyword ‘traveling alone’ including blogs, tweets, and news articles, surpassing the figure for 2015. (Image: Kobiz Media)
SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Korea Bizwire) — More South Koreans are traveling solo to avoid unnecessary stress and focus on resting well, a big data study has revealed.
According to data released on Monday by artificial intelligence-based big data analytics company Daumsoft, the number of times ‘traveling alone’ was mentioned on social network services increased notably in 2016, from 14,703 in 2015 to 19,706.
As of last week, there had been 13,345 online posts thus far this year related the keyword ‘traveling alone’ including blogs, tweets, and news articles, surpassing the figure for 2015.
It’s also worth nothing three in four posts related to traveling alone were positive, highlighting the growing public interest.
Han, a 29-year-old salaried worker, travelled to Tokyo alone last winter following a solo trip to the Czech Republic and Austria in 2014.
During his stay in Tokyo, Han spent most of his time on his own feeling relaxed and stress-free, taking in the scenery and visiting popular restaurants.
Though this kind of travel might sound lonely and perhaps even a bit boring, Han has no regrets.
“As my job forces me to meet a lot of people, I really just want to be left alone when I’m on holiday. If my holiday itinerary doesn’t go to plan, I don’t need to argue with anyone and all I need to do is just reschedule, which is stress free and I love it.”
The number of solo travelers similar to Han has been increasing in recent years in South Korea, as the country’s oppressive work culture and high levels of human interaction that come with it have seen more Koreans opt out of traveling in groups to instead embark on a solo getaway to recuperate and recharge.
Along with traveling alone, a vacation trend known in Korean as ‘small holidays’ is also proving popular among salaried workers, as an increasing number are choosing to stay at home or spend time in the city during their short-term holiday, without the hassle of going to the airport and spending half of their time off traveling back and forth.
The number of mentions online of ‘small holiday’ has been growing steadily since 2015.
“As people find the traditional type of holiday financially as well as mentally burdensome, practical ‘small holidays’ with no planning are gaining popularity,” Daumsoft said.
As using annual leave is starting to be encouraged in South Korean work culture, the traveling alone and ‘small holiday’ trends are likely here to stay.
“If more people take annual leave, people who take short holidays will increasingly opt to stay at home or in areas nearby,” Daumsoft said.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
