Vietnam continues to be a favorite tourist destination for travelers from the Republic of Korea during the upcoming Seollal or Korean Lunar New Year – a holiday and celebration that marks the first day of the Korean lunar calendar. Seoul falls on January 22 this year.
Data from travel agencies in the Republic of Korea shows that the demand for overseas travel from people in the country is high during the Seollal, even though the holiday is only four days long.
As of early January 2023, travel agencies have sold out 80% of the total airline tickets they prepare for the holiday.
Favorite destinations selected by Korean travelers are Japan, Vietnam and some other Southeast Asian countries.
Hana Tour Company, for example, said that as of Jan. 9, trips from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 were 54% booked to Southeast Asia. In Southeast Asia in particular, 36% of customers opt for Vietnam, 17% for Thailand, 12% for the Philippines and 7% for Taiwan (China).
The RoK tourism industry views these very positive signs of recovery since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.
A survey of major tour operators in the country shows that more than 80% of the products they planned to offer during the New Year holidays have been welcomed by customers, according to Vietnam News Agency.