A look at how Koreans traveled and stayed in 2023 — and the trends shaping 2024
With year-end approaching, there's been a flurry of reports analyzing 2023 and previewing 2024 in travel and hospitality.
This piece highlights two: Opensurvey's Travel Trend Report 2023 and Skyscanner's Travel Trends 2024.
According to Opensurvey — a consumer data platform that screened 4,000 respondents — 71.2% of Koreans took at least one domestic or international trip this year. Nearly three in ten (29.2%) traveled abroad. Travel is truly mainstream.
By age: Gen Z and Millennials are more likely to have traveled both domestically and internationally. For those over 40, the pattern skews toward domestic-only travel — likely because multi-generational family trips abroad are a heavier lift.
There's also a shift in what "peak season" means. Opensurvey found that September was the most popular month for travel — 24.7% of respondents went somewhere. October came next (19.7%), then August (19.5%), then July (10.7%). More people traveled in September–October than in July–August.
ONDA's internal booking data confirms this: reservations in September and October slightly exceeded those in July and August. The old peak-season crush is leveling out.
Separately, Skyscanner surveyed 1,000 Koreans and found 80% plan to travel as much or more in 2024. And 43% say the overall vibe of a destination matters most.
Accommodation spending hit ₩200k/night — up ₩30k from 2022
When Opensurvey asked where people spent more in 2023, food ranked first and accommodation second.
Average nightly spend rose from ₩171,000 in 2022 to ₩196,000 in 2023. The hotel stay is becoming a bigger part of the trip experience.
3–4 star hotels and resorts topped the preference list, followed by five-star hotels and private vacation rentals (pensions, pool villas). Interestingly, Airbnb and other short-term rental platforms didn't rank as high.
Fun fact from Skyscanner: some five-star hotels can be booked for around ₩200,000 — if you time it right.
2024 trend anchor: cultural experiences
Skyscanner identified seven travel archetypes for 2024. What they have in common: cultural content is driving destination choice.
▲ Entertourment: One in three Koreans would take a short-haul flight just to see a favorite artist perform.
▲ Pilgrimage travel: 29% want to visit places they saw in movies, TV shows, or on Instagram.
▲ Value gourmets: 41% have picked a destination because there's a specific restaurant they want to try.
▲ Sleep tourism: In a burnout era, hotels that help you get great sleep are becoming "sleep havens."
▲ Analog travel: More travelers prefer a Polaroid keepsake over an instant Instagram post. They want to disconnect.
▲ Milestone trips: Birthdays and anniversaries are turning into reasons for special destination getaways.
▲ Small luxury: Travelers want to splurge guilt-free within their budget — no regrets, no FOMO.
These seven modes reflect where Korean travelers are heading. If you're in hospitality and planning 2024, designing experiences around these trends could be a smart move.