SEOUL, April 9 (AJP) - With the growing popularity of the Korean Wave, more travelers are choosing South Korea as their spring destination to enjoy cherry blossoms and other attractions, shifting from the long-standing tradition of visiting Japan.
According to figures released by online travel agency Trip.com on Thursday, Seoul ranked first among global cities in flight bookings for the spring travel period from March 20 to May 3.
Bookings for flights to Seoul jumped 83 percent, compared to the same period of last year, outpacing growth in Japan's major cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
Asian markets led bookings, with Japan ranking first, followed by Thailand and China, while German travelers to South Korea increased by about 142 percent over the past year, reflecting growing interest from Europe.
Foreign visitors are also increasingly traveling beyond Seoul to provincial areas. Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province saw the fastest growth in inbound arrivals, rising 962 percent from a year earlier, followed by the southern porty city of Busan (131 percent) and the southern resort island of Jeju (129 percent).
Bookings by domestic travelers to southern provincial cities such as Gunsan and Jinju also increased during the same period, which is peak season for spring flowers.
"South Korea has become an ideal global destination for enjoying spring," said Hong Jong-min, head of Trip.com's office in Seoul. "Rising demand for inbound flights through regional airports, along with growing arrivals from Western countries, are encouraging indicators for the travel industry," he added.
According to figures released by online travel agency Trip.com on Thursday, Seoul ranked first among global cities in flight bookings for the spring travel period from March 20 to May 3.
Bookings for flights to Seoul jumped 83 percent, compared to the same period of last year, outpacing growth in Japan's major cities like Tokyo and Osaka.
Asian markets led bookings, with Japan ranking first, followed by Thailand and China, while German travelers to South Korea increased by about 142 percent over the past year, reflecting growing interest from Europe.
Foreign visitors are also increasingly traveling beyond Seoul to provincial areas. Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province saw the fastest growth in inbound arrivals, rising 962 percent from a year earlier, followed by the southern porty city of Busan (131 percent) and the southern resort island of Jeju (129 percent).
Bookings by domestic travelers to southern provincial cities such as Gunsan and Jinju also increased during the same period, which is peak season for spring flowers.
"South Korea has become an ideal global destination for enjoying spring," said Hong Jong-min, head of Trip.com's office in Seoul. "Rising demand for inbound flights through regional airports, along with growing arrivals from Western countries, are encouraging indicators for the travel industry," he added.
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