KyoWon Tour has released the results of its overseas travel preference survey based on bookings for the fourth quarter. There is an increasing preference for long-distance travel destinations such as Western and Eastern Europe, and single-country packages are also gaining popularity. The survey indicates a shift from the previous focus on Japan and Vietnam to more distant regions like Europe and Australia. There is also a rising trend of travelers booking tours that focus on exploring a single country for an extended period.
The fourth-quarter overseas travel trends and popular destinations data, analyzed by KyoWon Tour Travel Easy, shows a diversification of travel demand that was previously concentrated in Japan and Vietnam. Western Europe (ranked 4th), the Mediterranean (6th), Eastern Europe (7th), and Southern Europe (8th) have all entered the top ten in travel destination preferences. The proportion of long-distance travel destinations in overall reservations for the fourth quarter has increased by 10 percentage points to 28% compared to the same period last year.
Last year, Southeast Asian regions like Vietnam and Thailand were more popular, partly due to the weak yen spurring interest in Japan travel. The stabilization of airline ticket prices has improved accessibility to Europe, reflecting a demand to use remaining annual leave for year-end overseas travel, including early October breaks.
Among popular destinations, Western Europe and Eastern Europe, which was not in the ranking last year, are noteworthy. Western Europe’s demand continues to increase due to stabilized flight and hotel prices post-Paris Olympics and Chuseok holidays. Interest in Christmas markets in Eastern Europe has grown, prompting increased demand. Travel Easy offers packages with free schedules in major Eastern European cities such as Budapest, Prague, and Vienna, featuring visits to city markets.
There’s also growing interest in single-country tours focusing on Turkey, Spain, Italy, and Australia. These destinations are praised for their diverse attractions across large and small cities, allowing travelers to delve deeply into a country’s history, culture, cuisine, and nature without crossing borders, which reduces travel distances.
This shift in travel trends reflects a move away from landmark tourism and shopping towards more personalized travel experiences. A spokesperson from Travel Easy mentioned, “Post-Olympics, demand for Western Europe continues to grow, as well as interest in Christmas markets in Eastern Europe. Southern Europe and Mediterranean tours also see increasing bookings, projecting continued interest in long-distance travel centered on Europe and Australia.”