May Golden Week: 36% Surge in Korean Travel Demand - What You Need to Know!

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Early‑May bookings surge 36% as demand concentrates in central Seoul

Pohang and Daegu boom, spreading travel to regional destinations

Koreans shift to regional travel and favor nearby international trips

Incheon International Airport / Photo: Ji‑eun Kim, Travel+ reporter

Demand for travel to Korea climbed noticeably during early‑May’s Golden Week. What’s new is that interest isn’t just focused on big cities — it’s quickly spreading into regional towns and coastal getaways.

Trip.com Group, the global travel platform operator, analyzed Korea travel trends and found that flight bookings to Korea during Golden Week in May rose 36% year‑over‑year.

Top inbound markets for Korea during May Golden Week / Photo: Trip.com Group

Seoul ranked first as an overseas destination for travelers from Japan and China. It also placed near the top for visitors from Singapore and Thailand.

That momentum shows up in inbound tourism numbers. The Korea Tourism Organization reported 2,045,992 arrivals in March — a 26.7% increase from the same month last year.

By country: China 501,000; Japan 482,000; Taiwan 192,000; the United States 152,000; and Vietnam 75,000. Compared with 2019, China and Japan recovered to about 102.8% and 128.4% respectively, while Taiwan, the U.S. and Vietnam exceeded pre‑COVID levels at 195.0%, 180.9% and 159.3% respectively.

China also sent the most visitors to Korea in May, followed by Japan, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand. The overlap of China’s Labor Day and Japan’s Golden Week helped expand overall demand for travel to Korea.

Hotel booking rates and booking growth for international tourists in Korea / Photo: Trip.com Group

As interest in visiting Korea grows, bookings are spreading beyond Seoul and Busan into regional areas. Hotel data show Seoul, Busan and Jeju still hold the biggest shares, but growth was strongest in regional cities: Pohang (+180%), Daegu (+167%), Seogwipo (+151%) and Andong (+135%) all posted sharp increases. It’s a clear sign that region‑based travel is expanding fast.

May Golden Week: Where Koreans Traveled

Destinations for travelers to Korea during May Golden Week / Photo: Trip.com Group

Domestic travelers also shifted toward small and mid‑sized cities. Visits rose to Ulsan (+158.5%), Gwangju (+96%), Pohang in North Gyeongsang (+95%), Gunsan (+80%), Boryeong (+75%) and Tongyeong (+58%). Pohang, in particular, drew strong interest from both domestic and international visitors and emerged as one of the holiday’s breakout destinations.

Koreans kept overseas trips short to match the brief holiday window, favoring nearby countries such as Japan and China. At the same time, new short‑haul options like Mongolia are gaining attention, widening travelers’ choices.

Hana Tour’s analysis of departures from May 1–7 found China accounted for about 30% of bookings, followed by Japan (23%) and Vietnam (14%). China’s share rose roughly eight percentage points year‑on‑year, underscoring clear demand growth.

The early‑May bridge holiday also opened up mid‑range routes like Zhangjiajie in China. Social media trends — notably influencer or “wanghong” experiences — and greater interest in Shanghai food tours were additional demand drivers.

“Recent travel demand has shifted away from major cities toward discovering hidden regional attractions,” said Hong Jong‑min, head of Trip.com Korea. “This dispersal is showing up in both inbound and domestic travel.” He added, “We will expand regional tourism content and experience products to spread Korea’s travel appeal nationwide.”

Seoyeon Moon, Travel+ reporter