Increase in Consumption of K-Culture, K-Food, and K-Pop: Transition to Multi-layered Experience-Centric Travel to Korea
Increase in Transactions: Hanbok 30%, Samgyetang 233%, K-Pop Concert Shuttles 133%, “With the success of Netflix animation ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’ (hereafter referred to as ‘Kedaeheon’), more foreign tourists are experiencing K-culture through content.”,
,
, “According to Creatrip, a leading inbound tourism platform in Korea, an analysis of tourism consumption data for one month (June 20-July 19) after the release of Kedaeheon on June 20th, compared to the previous month period (May 20-June 19), shows an increase in actual reservations and transaction amounts by foreign tourists.”,
,
,
The public bath scene in Kedaeheon has made Korean-style body scrubbing a popular tourist activity among visiting tourists. Photo=Creatrip,
,
, From Hanbok to Body Scrubbing… Increased Demand for K-Culture,
,
, “Scenes in Kedaeheon showing characters wearing the traditional attire Hanbok or visiting public baths to relieve fatigue have led to a rising demand among foreign tourists to enjoy K-culture. The transaction amount for ‘Hanbok experience’ by foreign tourists using Creatrip increased by 30% compared to the previous month. Among these, the number of Hanbok experience cases by Taiwanese tourists surged by 433%, showing the most significant increase.”,
,
, “Even somewhat unfamiliar experiences like ‘body scrubbing’ are becoming popular tourist products after appearing in the work. Body scrubbing is based on Korean exfoliating culture and is divided into high-end spa-like individual scrubbing shops and public bath experiences.”,
,
, “Recently, private scrubbing shops equipped with natural bath additives and exclusive shower rooms have gained buzz, emerging as unique attractions. Scrubbing in public baths is drawing attention as a more traditionally Korean cultural experience. Particularly, the transaction amount for public bath tourism content among foreign tourists increased by 84% compared to the previous month period.”,
,
, “As an effort to experience the ‘Koreanness’ embedded in content, it is leading to authentic content consumption that shapes the travel routes of foreign tourists to Korea.”,
,
,
Foreign tourists’ consumption of traditional Korean food like Samgyetang is steadily increasing. Photo=Creatrip,
,
, K-Food Evolving into Empathy-based Experiences,
,
, “Interest in Korean foods like Gimbap, Ramen, Sundae, and Gukbap, which appeared in Kedaeheon, is rising. These are becoming established as cultural experiences that allow foreign tourists to empathize with Korean sentiments.”,
,
, “In fact, transaction amounts for Korean food by Singaporean tourists increased by 157%, and by American tourists by 61% compared to the previous month. Transactions for Samgyetang among foreign tourists using Creatrip increased by 233%, while Jjimdak grew by 162%. Soy sauce marinated crabs, consistently popular among foreign tourists, also saw an 18% rise. Visits to restaurants representing Korean meat culture like butcher shops and rib eateries have increased as well, reaching up to four times the transaction amount compared to the previous month.”,
,
,
K-Pop dance classes are being established as representative Korean travel programs among foreign fans. Photo=Creatrip,
,
, Experiencing the ‘K-Pop World’ in Korea,
,
, “An increasing number of fans are visiting Korea to experience K-Pop culture firsthand. Kedaeheon, based on the K-Pop world, serves as a narrative for the fandom in itself, stimulating the motivation for overseas fans to visit Korea.”,
,
, “According to Creatrip, foreign tourists’ reservations for concert shuttles increased by 133% in transaction amount compared to the previous month. Likewise, the number of orders placed by Taiwanese tourists surged by 1400% compared to the same period last month, displaying the highest growth rate. K-Pop dance class reservations also showed notable increases, with American tourists’ orders up by 400% and Taiwanese tourists’ by 575%.”,
,
, “Programs such as personal color analysis and styling shoots, allowing tourists to experience being idols in the K-Pop universe, have become essential courses in traveling to Korea.”,
,
, “Lim Hye-min, CEO of Creatrip, stated that ‘the presence of Korean elements in Kedaeheon is leading to actual travel product reservations, confirming the expansion of foreign tourists’ interest to encompass various aspects of everyday Korean culture.’ They plan to continue enriching foreign tourists’ experiences with Korean culture through travel content planning based on K-Culture.”,