Hotel and resort transactions surge — bookings nearly double year-over-year
ONDA Releases 2022-23 Hospitality Data & Trends Report: Endemic Era in Full Swing
— ONDA unveils 2022 ONDA Stay Index (OSI): total accommodation transactions up 77% YoY
— Hotel and resort transactions surge — bookings nearly double
— Seoul, Busan, and other major cities show nearly 3× recovery vs. 2021 amid hotel rebound
— 62% of accommodation industry workers felt positive change last year
(Press release — April 13, 2023 / Thursday) Korea's hotel and accommodation industry posted a sharp recovery in 2022 as the country entered the COVID-19 endemic phase.
On April 13, hospitality tech company ONDA released its 2022-23 Hospitality Data & Trends Report, analyzing domestic accommodation trends and global industry movements. The report includes the ONDA Stay Index (OSI), which tracks 2022 accommodation trends, as well as a survey capturing industry workers' perceptions of the post-pandemic landscape and outlook.
According to ONDA's OSI, Korea's online accommodation transaction volume grew 77% in 2022 compared to 2021. Compared to 2020—when COVID-19 was at its peak—monthly transaction volumes more than doubled across the board, reflecting steep recovery. Off-peak months (April–June) saw particularly strong growth, attributed to the lifting of social distancing rules and the rollout of the Korea Grand Accommodation Sale.
By segment, hotels and resorts showed standout growth. Hotel and resort bookings nearly doubled year-over-year, driving a massive surge in transaction volume. While 2021 growth rates hovered around 20–30% YoY, 2022 saw explosive growth of 150–170%.
Glamping, caravan, and camping—categories that boomed during social distancing—also posted modest transaction growth in the endemic year, but growth rates declined by around 16.9 percentage points compared to 2021.
Regionally, major urban centers like Seoul and Busan led the charge. As hotel sales—hardest hit by the absence of foreign tourists—recovered steadily through H2, Seoul and Busan saw transaction volumes rise 202% and 173% YoY, respectively.
By online channel, portals and international OTAs showed notable momentum. Portals posted the largest gains in both bookings and transaction volume last year. Portal transaction share grew 3.2 percentage points vs. 2020, while international OTAs gained 7.6 percentage points. Over the same period, e-commerce platforms saw their share drop 12.3 percentage points.
ONDA also surveyed industry workers to gauge perceptions of post-pandemic change. 62% of respondents said the industry improved last year, driven by revenge travel in the endemic phase. 75% of hotel and resort workers felt positive change, while 58.3% of small-to-midsize accommodation operators (e.g., pension guesthouses) reported either status quo or negative change—pointing to a widening gap within the sector.
Government performance on industry recovery scored just 4.5 out of 10. Hotel and resort workers prioritized tourism infrastructure development, while small accommodation operators called for win-win policies between platforms and operators.
An ONDA representative said, "Last year saw strong recovery across both peak and off-peak seasons as Korea entered the endemic phase. This year's trajectory will depend on timing around inbound tourism recovery, including the resumption of Korea-China travel."
ONDA regularly publishes OSI reports to help hotel and accommodation professionals track YoY industry trends. The OSI is based on actual sales data from approximately 50,000 properties and 400,000 rooms nationwide transacted through ONDA HUB, Korea's largest integrated distribution system. The full report is available on ONDA's corporate blog (corp.onda.me) under Reports & Content.
ONDA is a hospitality tech and data company covering roughly 60–70% of Korea's online room distribution market. The company has built strong partnerships with global tech giants, including being Airbnb's first Outstanding Partner in Korea and Google Hotels' first domestic partner.
In 2022, ONDA was selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' Baby Unicorn program and has been named to the Financial Times' Asia-Pacific High-Growth Companies list two years running (2022–2023). The company also became the first Korean firm to rank on Skift's Global PMS Vendors list (34th), cementing its position as a global hospitality tech leader.
This release was discontinued as of April 23, 2026. For inquiries, please contact contact@onda.me.