Short-haul routes to China, Southeast Asia and Japan are showing strength in this summer's overseas travel market. As high exchange rates and fuel surcharge burdens persist, demand is concentrating on regions with shorter travel times and relatively lower costs rather than long-haul destinations.
According to an analysis of peak summer season bookings for departures between July 18 and August 8 released by Mode Tour on Monday, short-haul regions including China, Southeast Asia, Japan and Mongolia accounted for more than 80% of total bookings.
By region, China recorded the highest share at 27.4%, followed by Southeast Asia at 24.3%, Japan at 18.2% and Mongolia at 12.1%. By contrast, Europe accounted for 10.2% and the Americas and South Pacific region just 6.4%, indicating relatively limited demand for long-haul travel.
The travel industry analyzed that the recent weakness of the won combined with rising airfare costs has strengthened travelers' tendency to consider both cost and travel time. Destinations that allow travelers to enjoy trips as efficiently as possible within limited vacation periods are gaining attention, the industry explained.
In China, Baekdu Mountain showed overwhelming popularity. Baekdu Mountain accounted for 46.3% of all China bookings, marking the highest preference. It was followed by Zhangjiajie (10.4%), Qingdao (8.4%) and Inner Mongolia (7.0%).
Baekdu Mountain maintains relatively cool weather even in midsummer and offers Heaven Lake and vast natural scenery, establishing itself as a representative summer destination. Recently, with growing demand for trekking and nature-experience travel, interest has been rising not only among middle-aged and older travelers but also among family travelers.
In Japan, demand centered on Hokkaido stood out. Sapporo accounted for 48.2% of all Japan bookings, recording the highest share, followed by Osaka (15.2%), Fukuoka (11.2%) and Okinawa (8.3%).
Hokkaido, where travelers can enjoy a relatively cool climate while escaping the heat, has established itself as a popular summer destination. The analysis attributes this to a combination of abundant natural scenery, food and pleasant weather.
In Southeast Asia, Vietnam continued its dominance. About half of all Southeast Asia bookings, or 50%, were concentrated on Vietnam. In particular, Nha Trang (31.4%), Da Nang (29.9%) and Phu Quoc (26.4%) were evenly selected, showing no concentration in any particular region.
Compared with the same period last year, Mongolia's growth was the most notable. Mongolia bookings increased 73.6%, while China and Japan also rose 62.5% and 54.7%, respectively.
The travel industry sees this as the effect of spreading demand for so-called "coolcation," in which travelers seek cool regions to escape summer heatwaves. Indeed, Mongolia, Hokkaido and Baekdu Mountain maintain relatively comfortable temperatures even in summer, drawing significantly increased interest from travelers recently.
"This summer's overseas travel demand is becoming more segmented, considering not only travel burden, climate and family travel suitability, but also schedule efficiency that can increase satisfaction within limited vacation periods," a Mode Tour official said.
