NEWS: This Month's Industry Trends at a Glance (December 2019)

2020 Travel Trend: Rest and Reset — Are We Entering the Era of 'Slow Travel'?

December is here — time to close out 2019 and gear up for the new year. How has Magazine ON's monthly industry roundup served you this year? We hope it's helped you stay ahead of the trends shaping the hospitality sector. With 2020 around the corner, let's look at what travel trends could reshape the market next year.

Skyscanner's "2020 Korea Travel Trends" report highlights "Slow Travel" as next year's dominant keyword among Korean travelers. The term means exactly what it sounds like: spending time in quiet places, just for yourself. Of 1,190 respondents, 31% chose this keyword — 1.5x higher than the 19.9% who did in 2019. The second-most popular trend? "JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out) Travel" — avoiding social media and crowded destinations — which jumped from 9% last year to 14% this year.

Food-focused travel and eco-conscious sustainable travel also made the list, but the real story is clear: people are moving away from Instagram-driven trips and toward genuine rest and introspection. The rise of "growth travel" and challenge-seeking trips also reflects Gen Z and Millennials' focus on personal achievement and meaningful experiences over résumé-padding.

Sound familiar? Throughout this year's Magazine ON coverage, we've tracked how Korea's 52-hour workweek encouraged more leave days and Friday departures. We've seen the rise of "hotel vacations" (호캉스) and "book vacations" (북캉스) — people choosing relaxation over sightseeing. Solo travel (혼행) became mainstream.

Put it all together, and the through-line is obvious: individual rest and growth-focused independent travel will continue to dominate in 2020. Take a moment to reflect on how your property stacks up against these trends. What can you adjust to better align with where travelers are headed? December is the perfect time to close the books on 2019 and prepare for what's next.

[Money Today, 2019.11.25, "Turn Off SNS and Slow Down"… Korea's 2020 Travel Keyword is 'Slow Travel']

College Entrance Exam Season is Over — Hospitality Operators, Stay Alert.

The 2020 college entrance exam cycle officially wrapped up last week with score announcements. High school seniors, exhausted from months of stress, are now ready to unwind with friends, family, and significant others. Domestic travel demand is about to spike — and it'll surge even more after early admissions and essay exam results come out. So why am I saying hospitality operators need to stay on high alert right now?

You probably remember the string of accidents involving students earlier this year: ski resort incidents, campground mishaps, the devastating Gangneung pension accident that shook the entire country. Root causes? Poor facility safety inspections and lax government oversight. This winter, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism designated a special safety period for students and released "Safety Guidelines for Using Small-Scale Tourist Accommodations" to prevent another tragedy.

Post-exam students are excited to travel — but problems crop up fast. First, cash-strapped teens prioritize cheap lodging, which can lead them to unregistered, illegal accommodations. These properties fail safety and hygiene standards, lack insurance, and leave victims with no recourse if something goes wrong.

Even legal accommodations can be risky. Traditional hanok guesthouses, rural farmstays, and tourist pensions fall under varying registration standards — many lack adequate safety equipment. When accidents happen, operators are held liable, regardless of regulatory gaps. So if you run a small- or mid-sized property, now is the time to thoroughly inspect facilities and install safety devices to avoid legal and moral catastrophe.

The second issue: legal restrictions on minors. As we covered in our September column, minors under 19 need parental consent to book accommodations. Same-gender groups require proof of consent (recordings, photos, signed forms). Mixed-gender groups are not allowed, even if one person is an adult. Penalties for violating these rules are severe — administrative sanctions and criminal liability. If you don't verify ages and document consent properly, you're putting your business at serious risk.

Exam season ending = guard down = accidents up. Don't let your property become the site of a preventable incident. Stay vigilant, check compliance, and make the most of this short peak season safely.

[Seoul Economic Daily, 2019.11.14, "2020 Exams are Over, Time to Travel — What to Watch Out for When Using Accommodations"]

Domestic Homeshare Legalization — Is It Finally Happening?

The long, contentious debate over homeshare services in Korea may finally be moving forward. On November 27, the Ministry of Science and ICT's 7th New Technology & Services Deliberation Committee announced new standards for domestic homeshare services — and yes, they include provisions to allow Koreans to book homeshares.

The key change: roughly 4,000 residential units near Seoul subway stations can now host both foreign and domestic guests via platforms like Airbnb. It's a limited scope, but a major leap from the previous "foreigners-only" tourist urban homestay regulations. Until now, even licensed urban homestay operators could only legally host international visitors — despite most of their actual customers being Korean. The law was widely seen as backwards, poorly understood, and a source of constant legal trouble.

The upside? Growth for Airbnb and similar platforms, an end to reverse discrimination, revitalization of commercial areas near transit hubs, and a boost for the sharing economy. The downside? Conflict with traditional hospitality operators and oversupply concerns. The Korea Lodging Industry Central Association — representing motels, hotels, and pensions — is pushing back hard, fearing an uneven playing field and market saturation. Urban homestay standards are less stringent than hotel licensing requirements, which hits lower-tier accommodations hardest. Enforcement against illegal listings remains weak.

Of course, no policy gets everything right on day one. You can't stop the sharing economy's explosive growth by force. The key now is finding fair compromises that resolve industry conflicts and steer Korea's hospitality sector toward healthy, sustainable growth.

[Kookmin Ilbo, 2019.11.27, "Airbnb Allowed for Koreans — 'It Was Illegal Until Now'"]

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