Domestic Travel Trend: "1 Night 2 Days Short Trips Increase, Preference for Nearby Destinations"

1 Night 2 Days short trip ratio hits an all-time high, and the trend of preferring nearby destinations like the capital region is reappearing. 

According to data released on the 27th by the travel research institution Consumer Insight, the travel duration for domestic overnight travelers was found to be 52% for '1 Night 2 Days', recording an all-time high. Since 2017, it has consistently maintained around 50%, but reaching 52% is a first. On the other hand, 2 Nights 3 Days recorded an all-time low of 28%, and 3 Nights 4 Days or more showed little change at 21%. Also, the average duration of domestic travel this year was 2.9 days, the same as the lowest in the past nine years during the two years before COVID-19 (2018-2019). 

Travel regions also showed a tendency to gather in accessible places suitable for short schedules. The travel destination share in the capital region such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon, which are densely populated with travel consumers, increased by +0.6%p, +0.6%p, and +0.4%p respectively compared to the previous survey. Especially in the case of Daejeon, it rose by +1.0%p, the largest increase, which is interpreted as Daejeon becoming a suitable place for weekend trips as it has been known for its popular restaurants that match the tastes of the MZ generation along with the rise in popularity of professional baseball. 

On the other hand, major domestic destinations like Jeju (-2.0%p) and Gangwon (-1.4%p) showed a clear decline. Particularly, Jeju faced difficulties in attracting tourists as it fell the most due to factors like high price controversy becoming prominent.

Changes are also detected in activities at travel destinations. Above all, there were many cases where gastronomy (18%) and meeting relatives and friends (17%) were cited as major activities during domestic travel, which is analyzed as a result reflecting the psychology of seeking small satisfaction in a short time. On the other hand, 'enjoying natural scenery' and 'rest', which increased during the pandemic, showed a clear decline. 

Consumer Insight stated, "After the pandemic, as overseas travel was blocked, mid-to-long-distance domestic travel of 3 Nights 4 Days or more temporarily increased, but recently, due to rising prices and economic recession, consumers are returning to travel behavior that emphasizes cost-effectiveness," adding, "There is a high possibility that consumers seeking long-distance, nature-centered tourist spots will decrease, raising concerns about the contraction of the domestic travel industry."

jsm64@fnnews.com Jeong Soon-min Reporter