--- title: "2025 Peak Travel Dates & New Regulations for Lodging Operators" description: "What accommodation operators need to know about 2025's long weekends and policy changes" published: 2025-01-04T03:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Insights" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/6778c14e74e72c6207eef436_boliviainteligente-AXmsgpEoSno-unsplash.jpg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=2025nyeon-hwanggeum-hyuil-iljeong-dalrajineun-sugbageob-jeongcaeg locale: en --- # 2025 Peak Travel Dates & New Regulations for Lodging Operators 2024 was a year. Now we're in 2025—the Year of the Snake. To all our Weekly ON readers: happy new year 🙂 This first newsletter of 2025 covers two things that'll shape your operations this year: the golden long weekends ahead, and the new regulations kicking in for lodging businesses. Let's start with the holidays. This year has a 10-day stretch you can unlock with just one PTO day. ![(Source: Naver Calendar)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/6778c26b5dd5f292e0448d04_6778c16b1dd56b4f9ef54b26_1.png) Look at October: National Foundation Day, Chuseok, substitute holidays, and Hangeul Day all stack up into a 7-day break. Take Friday the 10th off, and you've got 10 days straight. Flight prices are already spiking for this window. Here's hoping domestic accommodations see the same boom. According to [Youth Daily](https://youthdaily.co.kr/news/article.html?no=175303), there are five more long weekends (3+ days) on the calendar this year: ▲January 28–30 (Lunar New Year, 3 days) ▲March 1–3 (Independence Movement Day + substitute holiday, 3 days) ▲May 3–6 (Children's Day, Buddha's Birthday + substitute holiday, 4 days) ▲June 6–8 (Memorial Day weekend, 3 days) ▲August 15–17 (Liberation Day weekend, 3 days). Mark these dates now. Early prep pays off. Now for the policy changes hitting in 2025. > New cancellation rules for lodging reservations Korea Fair Trade Commission revised the consumer dispute resolution standards. The old rule—**"cancel on booking day without penalty"**—is now **"cancel within 24 hours of booking (but not past midnight before check-in date)"**. ![(Source: Korea Fair Trade Commission)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/6778c26b5dd5f292e0448d0d_6778c1a2a89ff53ce2e05c33_2.png) [Sukbak Magazine](https://www.sukbakmagazine.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=63160) also rounded up the other policy shifts worth knowing: > Minimum wage crosses ₩10,000 For the first time ever, minimum wage hit five figures: ₩10,030/hour. That's ₩170 more than last year. Important: if you list the rate as "₩10,000/hour," you're technically in violation—those 30 won matter. > Adult threshold: born in 2006 or earlier For youth curfew enforcement, the cutoff is birth year—not birthday. Anyone born in 2006 is legally an adult. Birthdate doesn't factor in. > Good-faith operator relief law takes effect If you've got CCTV footage proving you checked IDs, you'll be exempt from administrative penalties related to underage stays. This "Good-Faith Lodging Operator Relief Law" goes live April 23, 2025. > Small-scale tourism zone development in population-declining regions The government is easing requirements and fast-tracking approvals for small tourism zones in areas losing population. ![(Source: Ministry of Economy and Finance)](https://zqcfqfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/6778c26b5dd5f292e0448d0a_6778c1ceff9a469bf7d4926d_3.jpeg) > Smart & digital transformation support for small businesses The government will cover 70% of rental costs for serving robots and kiosks. Caveat: only "accessibility-compliant kiosks" (designed for elderly and disabled users) qualify. > Airbnb hosts must verify business registration Starting October 2025, you can't list on Airbnb without a verified lodging business license. Unlicensed officetel listings and unreported properties will be kicked off the platform entirely. The verification deadline is end of 2024 for new listings, end of 2025 for existing ones. After that, guests will be able to see business registration info directly on every listing page.