--- title: "NEWS: This Month's Hospitality Trends at a Glance (August 2019)" description: "Peak season is no longer peaking. Solo travel is surging, and vacation timing is fragmenting across August. Here's what Korea's August 2019 hospitality data says about where demand is actually moving." published: 2019-08-07T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Insights" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd0a9068940f617d8a6e_62e7676c5d99644e3bf7a1ea_5e942915f70fbb33450fd0de_cafe_e1848be185b5e18483e185a1e186afe1848be185b4e18489e185a1e186abe1848be185a5e186b8e18483e185a9e186bce18492e185a3e186bc_201908.jpeg" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=news-bbareuge-ilgeoboneun-idalyi-saneobdonghyang-2019-08 locale: en --- # NEWS: This Month's Hospitality Trends at a Glance (August 2019) ![CAFE_이달의산업동향_201908.jpg](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a9fd0a9068940f617d8a6e_62e7676c5d99644e3bf7a1ea_5e942915f70fbb33450fd0de_cafe_e1848be185b5e18483e185a1e186afe1848be185b4e18489e185a1e186abe1848be185a5e186b8e18483e185a9e186bce18492e185a3e186bc_201908.jpeg) ### **Solo travel is the trend. If you're not ready for it, you're already behind.** Ever heard of *honhaeng*? Better yet—have you *done* it? **Honhaeng** (혼행) means **"solo travel,"** and it's one of the fastest-growing travel patterns right now. If that word already feels familiar, chances are you've either nailed the trend or you're running a property in the right location with the right room mix for solo travelers. G-Market recently surveyed 993 people about solo travel. **80% said they plan to travel solo,** and **61% have already done it.** The top reason? **"I can plan my trip exactly how I want"** (78%). The top hesitation? **"Fear of being alone in an unfamiliar place"** (46%). Here's the split: **40% prefer solo trips abroad, 60% prefer domestic.** Dig into the age brackets and the pattern gets clearer. **Only 20-somethings leaned international (55%)**, drawn to new cultures and experiences. **Every other age group skewed domestic**—51% for 30s, 60% for 40s, **77% for 50+.** Why? Younger travelers are digitally fluent. They find info fast, navigate apps easily, handle basic English without stress. Older travelers? Not so much. Less comfort with tech, less English confidence, more language anxiety. So they stick to familiar ground—places like Jeju or regional cities that *feel* a little exotic but don't require a passport. The takeaway: Solo travel is here, and it's not seasonal. **It's a year-round booking opportunity**, especially during off-peak periods. If your property fits the profile, think about **single-occupancy rates**, **curated solo itineraries**, or **group activities that welcome lone travelers.** The honhaeng wave isn't slowing down—so why not ride it? [Seoul Economy, 2019.08.01, Solo Travel Is Now the Norm: "I Can Plan It My Way"] ### **Peak season is spreading out. The "late July, early August" rush? It's fading.** The once-sacred window of *7mal 8cho* (7월 말 8월 초—late July through early August) is losing its grip on Korea's vacation calendar. According to a recurring travel survey by Sejong University's Tourism Research Institute and consumer insight firm Consumer Insight, **the share of people planning domestic trips during those three weeks has dropped 8.5% since 2017.** Meanwhile, **overall outbound travel intent is up**—37.2% in 2017, 39.5% in 2018, 40.1% in 2019—but the *growth rate* for departures during 7mal 8cho has been **slowing every year.** The new peaks? **The second week of August (Liberation Day, 9.9%)**, **the second week of September (Chuseok, 9.6%)**, and **the fifth week of September (National Foundation Day, 9.6%)**—all higher than the traditional late-July peak (8.2%). What's driving this? **Workers are getting smarter about maximizing their time off.** With the 52-hour workweek in place and work-life balance becoming mainstream, people are now using bridge holidays and scattered PTO instead of burning everything in one go. That shift applies to both international *and* domestic trips—and it has big implications for your property. **You can't just prep for peak season anymore.** You need to stay sharp year-round. And if your area still has a clear high/low season, here's a move to consider: **expand your distribution.** If you've been relying on one or two domestic OTAs, try adding **international channels**. More visibility = more bookings. And international guests? They don't follow Korea's vacation calendar. That means **year-round demand**, especially in your slower months. The old playbook—max out July and August, ride it out the rest of the year—doesn't work anymore. Travel is spreading. Your strategy should too. [TTL News, 2019.07.19, The Traditional Peak Season Rush Is Fading] ### **Illegal accommodations are still everywhere. What's the actual solution?** With peak season in full swing, local governments have ramped up crackdowns on **illegal lodging operations**—and the problem keeps growing. The hotspots? Seoul, Jeju, and Busan, where foreign tourists flock and enforcement is supposed to be tightest. The main violations: **"foreigner-only" guesthouses accepting Korean guests**, and **unlicensed short-term rentals operating out of officetels or commercial spaces.** As of August 5, **Korea Tourism Organization data shows that 48.1% of registered "foreign tourist urban homestays" are foreigner-only operations**—and **81.1% of those (1,522 out of 1,876) are in Seoul.** In theory, these properties can't legally host domestic travelers. In practice? Many do. I've heard this frustration firsthand—over and over—at seminars, interviews, and training sessions. **Vacancy is the #1 problem.** Especially in Seoul, guesthouse operators *want* to accept Korean guests, but **they can't get the right license.** Pension or rural homestay permits don't apply in metro areas, and the only lodging types allowed to host Koreans—motels and hotels—are undersupplied. So travelers look for cheaper, more accessible options. And operators, facing empty rooms, bend the rules. The media loves to blame the operators. But **no one is offering solutions.** A bill that would allow these properties to host domestic guests for up to 180 days a year has been **stuck in committee for nearly a year**, caught in turf wars between lodging associations. The government won't pick a side. Enforcement continues. The underground market grows. Yes, breaking the law is wrong. Yes, some operators paid for exclusive rights and feel undercut. But when demand is this high and enforcement this ineffective, **maybe it's time to move this market into the light.** We need smarter policy—not just more crackdowns. If the demand exists and can't be stamped out, let's create a legal path forward. [Financial News, 2019.08.05, Peak Season Brings Peak Illegal Lodging Activity] ## [**Read the full magazine >>**](http://bit.ly/magazineon32) ## [**Subscribe to the magazine >>**](http://bit.ly/magazinesub) --- ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting.