ONDA Stay Index (OSI) Q2 Results: Private Stays Still Dominate, Foreign OTAs Surge
ONDA Stay Index (OSI) Q2 Results: Private Stays Still Dominate, Foreign OTAs Surge
– ONDA analyzes nationwide hospitality sales data for Q2 2021: 35% YoY growth
– Foreign OTA transactions jump 260% YoY, led by Airbnb and Agoda's steep climbs
– Pool villas up 107.3%, pensions up 53.8%; camping/glamping/caravans up 13.7%
– Regional breakdown: Jeju +77.5%, Gyeongbuk +48% on Gyeongju travel boom
(Press Release — July 15, 2021) As vaccine rollout accelerated in Q2, consumer confidence—and travel demand—came back to life.
According to the ONDA Stay Index (OSI) released by hospitality B2B platform ONDA, Q2 2021 revenue for Korea's accommodation sector grew roughly 35% year-over-year. That's roughly in line with Q1 growth. What stands out: foreign OTA sales quadrupled compared to the same period last year.
Property type breakdown: Private stays continue to dominate. Pool villas—ideal for families seeking privacy—more than doubled YoY, timed perfectly with the summer travel season, and grew 98.7% quarter-over-quarter. Hotels saw modest recovery thanks to strong online sales in regional tourism hubs. Camping, glamping, and caravan sites posted 14% YoY growth.
Regional transaction volume: Jeju led the pack with 77.5% YoY growth and is expected to accelerate into peak season. Gyeongbuk province jumped 142% QoQ as Gyeongju travel took off. Meanwhile, metro areas with heavy hotel inventory—Seoul (–13%), Gwangju (–3.34%), Ulsan (–8.5%)—posted high-single-digit declines.
Channel breakdown: Foreign OTAs grew 260% YoY. Airbnb transactions rose 152% YoY, and Agoda shook off last year's slump. Domestic OTAs posted modest but steady gains across the board.
Direct bookings are rising, too. ONDA's payment system, ONDA Pay, saw Q2 transaction volume grow 21.8% YoY. The card-terminal-free system helps independent properties accept online payments, reduce no-shows, and handle walk-in card transactions seamlessly—fueling the shift to D2C sales.
The picture clouds over. After a recovering Q2, the industry froze again when Seoul moved to Level 4 distancing in July. For the first time this year, nationwide accommodation sales fell YoY in the second week of July, and cancellations are piling up, ONDA reports.
Kim Ki-wook, head of ONDA Data Lab: "Search trends show a strong preference for private travel. We expect demand for pensions and pool villas to hold steady for the time being." He added, "Vaccine rollout is accelerating, but the fourth wave hitting the capital region could dampen peak-season transactions."
The ONDA Stay Index (OSI) is a quarterly benchmark that tracks year-over-year hospitality trends, compiled from real transaction data flowing through ONDA's GDS (accommodation distribution system) covering ~36,000 properties nationwide. (END)
