--- title: "Korea's 'theme-cation' boom: from hocance to O-cance" description: "Hotels are launching niche packages beyond basic staycations—kid-friendly, pet-friendly, cultural themes. What's driving the O-cance trend?" published: 2024-08-13T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Weekly ON" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/66bad455cd54c6eaaf0fd2ac_WeeklyON_vol134_webflow_cover_1200px.png" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=vol-134 locale: en --- # Korea's 'theme-cation' boom: from hocance to O-cance ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting. --- #### **In this issue:** 🏨 Korea's 'theme-cation' boom: from hocance to O-cance 💡 ₩600,000/night luxury pensions flying off the shelves ⌨️ #H1TouristNumbers #MobilityEntersLodging #HotelPBBrands #TravelDemandSoftens #ParisOlympicsBust --- **🏠 Industry deep dive** ### **Korea's 'theme-cation' boom: from hocance to O-cance** **"Hocance"—hotel + vacance**—is now part of Korea's travel lexicon. The term first appeared in media [around 2005](https://www.redian.org/news/articleView.html?idxno=117914), but it took years to catch on. Then two forces converged: the 2019 Japan boycott and the pandemic. Suddenly, domestic hotel vacations surged—and the word "hocance" went mainstream. ![(Source: Naver Keyword Tool)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/66b9c246f57d08158d569f35_66b9c1317e456cf74f80c190_ED_98_B8_EC_BA_89_EC_8A_A4_20_EB_84_A4_EC_9D_B4_EB_B2_84_20_ED_82_A4_EC_9B_8C_EB_93_9C_20_EB_8F_84_EA_B5_AC.png) The chart above shows Naver search volume for "hocance." Interest is steady year-round and peaks every summer. It's not just Gen Z—Millennials and even people in their 40s search for it. **Globally, "staycation" is having a moment too**. Instead of long-haul trips, travelers are booking local hotels for weekend getaways. With inflation dragging on, many U.S. consumers are [opting for nearby hotels this summer](https://nypost.com/2024/07/05/lifestyle/inflation-is-making-travel-impossible-book-a-staycation-in-nyc-and-dupe-it-for-paris-or-london/)—same logic as Korea's hocance trend. But Korea's taking it further. Hotels aren't just offering rooms—they're launching **themed "O-cance" packages**: kid-cance, pet-cance, wellness-cance, cultural-cance. Guest expectations are diversifying. Competition is heating up. What's behind the O-cance boom? And what kinds of packages are hotels rolling out? ### 👉[**Read the full story: Korea's 'theme-cation' boom**](https://www.onda.me/blog/yojeumen-ireon-hokangseuga-ddeubnida?utm_source=stibee&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter-2024_08_13) --- **💡 Hospitality trends** ### **₩600,000/night luxury pensions flying off the shelves** Demand for luxury pensions—kid-friendly, pet-friendly, hanok-style—is surging. **Properties with distinctive themes and design** are making it onto regional tourism boards' "must-visit" lists. While average pension rates nationwide are falling, **high-end pensions with clear differentiation are commanding premium prices**. ONDA data shows bookings for pensions and pool villas priced above ₩600,000/night jumped 52.3% YoY this summer peak season. As luxury pensions gain traction, booking platforms are responding. Some are launching premium pension categories. Others are curating dedicated collections. **Industry attention on luxury pensions is unmistakable.** ### [👉Full story](https://www.news1.kr/industry/hotel-tourism/5505744) --- **⌨️ Industry roundup** **1️⃣ H1 tourist arrivals** [👉[full story]](https://www.traveltimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=409159) **TL;DR:** H1 inbound arrivals hit 91.2% of 2019 levels **The story:** Korea welcomed ~7.7M foreign tourists in H1 2024—91.2% of 2019 levels. Top source markets: China, Japan, Taiwan, U.S., Hong Kong. China alone accounted for 29% of arrivals. **Outbound?** Korean outbound travelers reached ~14M in H1 (93.4% of 2019). Japan remained the #1 destination, claiming a third of all departures. **2️⃣ Mobility giants enter lodging** [👉[full story]](https://www.sukbakmagazine.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=61603) **TL;DR:** Ride-hailing and transit apps adding hotel booking **The story:** Korea's mobility players are moving into lodging. Socar and Tmap were early movers. Now TmoneyGO—Korea's transit payment app—has launched a travel and lodging booking service. **Why?** Simple: travel is growing. Big platforms want in. For a deeper look at why super-apps and mobility giants are going all-in on travel, check out [this ONDA blog post](https://www.onda.me/blog/daehyeong-peulraespomgwa-syupeoaebi-yeohaenge-jinsimin-iyu). **3️⃣ Hotel PB brands boom** [👉[full story]](https://www.newsis.com/view/NISX20240802_0002836014) **TL;DR:** Hotels and resorts see surging sales of private-label products **The story:** Korea's "small luxury" trend—high satisfaction at low cost—is fueling demand for hotel PB goods. Major properties are reporting big sales gains. **What's selling?** Bedding, perfume, kimchi, coffee, ready-to-eat meals. Hotels are diversifying distribution: their own online stores, Kakao, Naver, Olive Young. **4️⃣ U.S. travel demand softening** [👉[full story]](https://www.edaily.co.kr/News/Read?newsId=02030326638985352&mediaCodeNo=257) **TL;DR:** American consumers cutting back on travel and leisure **The story:** Prolonged inflation is eating into U.S. travel and hotel spending. Analysts say pandemic savings are depleted—consumers have less left to spend on trips. **In Korea?** Domestic visitor counts to regional destinations fell ~7M YoY in July. [Concerns are rising](https://www.joongang.co.kr/article/25269963#home) that economic slowdown and extreme heat may be dampening domestic tourism. **5️⃣ Paris Olympics: no hotel boom** [👉[full story]](https://www.chosun.com/international/international_general/2024/08/07/E5HMUXMV4ZHN3ER7SA5OCQ6RMU/) **TL;DR:** Paris hotels see high vacancy despite Olympics **The story:** Paris hotels are struggling with vacancies during the Games. Average nightly rate: €313 (~₩470K)—41% lower than last summer's peak. **OCC?** Hotel occupancy in Paris is hovering in the low 80s%. That's well below London 2012 (88.6%) and Rio 2016 (94.1%). ---