Cherry-blossom travel is getting a makeover. What used to be a Japan-first affair has spread across Asia — especially South Korea and China — and the global K-content boom has helped catapult South Korea onto many travelers’ spring itineraries.
Trip.com Group recently reported that South Korea has emerged as the most preferred cherry-blossom destination for global travelers this spring, showing marked growth.
Analyzing Trip.com Group’s booking data for the global spring bloom window (March 20–May 3), the company found Seoul ranked first in worldwide flight bookings during that period. Bookings to Seoul rose about 83% year over year, far outpacing growth in Japan’s traditional spring-flower hotspots: Tokyo (2nd) and Osaka (4th).
By origin, inbound flight bookings from Japan doubled (up 100%), leading the list. Strong gains also came from other Asian markets — China (up 74%) and Thailand (up 122%). Bookings from the U.S. (up 82%) and Canada (up 165%) also climbed, signaling growing demand from the Americas.
Travelers are clearly diversifying beyond Seoul. Cheongju posted the biggest jump in inbound visitors, surging 962% year over year to top the list.
Busan (up 131%) and Jeju (up 129%) followed. Domestic booking data showed explosive gains in regional cities — Gunsan (up 846%) and Jinju (up 370%) — proving that spring-flower road trips are catching on nationwide.
Interest in South Korea’s spring travel has warmed up in Europe as well. German visitors to South Korea jumped about 142% in 2025 compared with the previous year. Trip.com has been spotlighting this trend by promoting cherry-blossom routes that connect Seoul, Busan and Jeju for German travelers this spring.
