--- title: "What Are Korea's Hottest Travel Destinations Right Now?" description: "Big data reveals 6 trending domestic travel spots for 2025. Explore regional highlights and the hottest travel destinations shaping Korea's tourism landscape." published: 2025-04-28T00:00:00+00:00 author: "ONDA 편집팀" category: "Weekly ON" image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/680f5b4c20b1f7ce7d0e8984_WeeklyON_vol150_webflow_cover_1200px.png" canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=weeklyon-vol-150 locale: en --- # What Are Korea's Hottest Travel Destinations Right Now? ⚠️ All rights reserved. Cite this piece as 'ONDA (온다)' when quoting. --- #### **In This Week's Weekly ON** 🏨 What Are Korea's Hottest Travel Destinations Right Now? 💡 Korea-China Routes Reopen — Chinese Tourist Numbers Surge ⌨️ #UltraShortTermRentals #ChosunHotel #GoAnywhere #YeogiEottae #HospitalitySlump --- **🏠 Industry Deep Dive** ### **Big Data Reveals 6 Trending Domestic Travel Spots for 2025** Hello, Weekly ON readers! Today, we're sharing insights from Korea Tourism Data Lab on **6 domestic travel destinations to watch in 2025**, based on big data analysis. Let's explore **regional highlights and the hottest travel spots** together! ![(Photo: Korea Tourism Data Lab)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/680dcb60a6428e95de9a5220_KakaoTalk_20250424_160933829.png) #### **1\. Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon-do — Family-Friendly Favorite** Hongcheon-gun saw a 21% year-over-year increase in out-of-town visitors from 2023 to 2024, cementing its status as a "family-friendly" travel destination. Summer vacation season (June–August) visits jumped 31%, while fall camping season (September–November) visits rose 29%. ![(Photo: Korea Tourism Data Lab)](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/680dcbbab29de31dacd44577_KakaoTalk_20250424_160933829_01.png) - Yongoreung Valley: Natural rock slides make this valley perfect for families — varied water depths accommodate all ages (670% YoY increase) - The Park 12: Glamping site with open fields and a lake; bungalows offer lakeside fishing (121%▲) - Sono Pet Club & Resort: A pet-friendly resort designed with your dog's movement patterns and eye level in mind (65%▲) - Gongjaksan Sutasa Ecological Forest: 163 hectares of pristine forest surrounding the thousand-year-old Sutasa Temple; free guided forest tours available (5,953%▲) #### **2\. Jung-gu, Incheon — Coastal Escape** Jung-gu, Incheon recorded the highest growth rate (32%) in out-of-town visitors among Seoul metropolitan destinations, driven by new coastal attractions. Unseo-dong, home to Inspire Entertainment Resort, saw visitor numbers spike 57%. ![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/680dcbee280b8376635114c5_KakaoTalk_20250424_160933829_02.png) - Inspire Arena: Korea's first multi-purpose indoor concert hall, hosting K-pop concerts, classical performances, and more (604%▲) - Pororo & Tayo Theme Park Wolmido Branch: Massive 4,200-pyeong indoor theme park (2nd in cultural tourism sites) - Sangsang Platform: Converted grain warehouse turned cultural complex in Incheon Port (672%▲) - Hanagae Beach: Beach with tidal flat experiences (638%▲) Today's featured destinations all showed strong growth in out-of-town visitors, navigation searches, and social media mentions — emerging travel hotspots worth watching. **But what's trending in Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Gyeongsang provinces?** ### 👉[****](https://event.stibee.com/v2/click/NTU2OTkvMjc3MTA5NC8yMzU1OS8/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub25kYS5tZS9ibG9nL3lvamV1bS1kZGV1bmV1bi1ndWduYWUtZ3dhbmd3YW5namktNmdvc2V1bj91dG1fc291cmNlPXN0aWJlZSZ1dG1fbWVkaXVtPWVtYWlsJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1uZXdzbGV0dGVyLTIwMjVfMDRfMjg) --- **💡 Hospitality Trends** ### **Korea-China Routes Reopen — Chinese Tourist Numbers Surge** [**👉\[Full story\]**](https://www.chosun.com/economy/industry-company/2025/04/23/TEZHEVOFGVFDVBVTMVQTXATZKA/) **TL;DR:** Air routes between Korea and China are expanding after years of disruption from THAAD (2016) and the pandemic (2020). Chinese tourists are returning in droves. **The story:** The recovery began in earnest when China granted visa-free entry (up to 15 days) to Korean travelers last November. From November 2024 to March 2025, flights between the two countries hit 45,157 — up 9.9% YoY — while passenger traffic reached 5.72 million (29.4%▲). **Chinese visitors to Korea surged 31.8% to 2.12 million** from September 2024 to February 2025, averaging 350,000 per month. While still below the pre-pandemic 500,000 monthly average, the rebound is unmistakable. **Airlines are racing to expand China routes.** Korean Air increased weekly China flights to 195 this summer — 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Asiana Airlines expanded Chengdu, Chongqing, and Yanji service. Budget carriers are restoring suspended routes and launching new ones. Incheon Airport's Q1 passenger count hit a record 17.4 million, with China routes accounting for 2.66 million (24%▲). **Travel and retail sectors are buzzing.** Home shopping channels expanded China tour program airtime by 60%. Hana Tour saw Q1 China package bookings jump 61%. One Seoul tourist hotel reported 60% Chinese guests in April — versus just 5% a year earlier. The government is considering visa-free entry for Chinese group tours starting Q3 (July–September), fueling further optimism. If the trend continues, the influx could provide a much-needed lift to Korea's sluggish domestic economy. --- **⌨️ News in Brief** **1️⃣ Ultra-Short-Term Rentals** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.chosun.com/economy/real_estate/2025/04/22/DMEQVHF3VNDSHNVZQNUSZ43YFE/) **TL;DR:** Ultra-short-term rentals are slowly chipping away at hospitality demand. **The story:** Workers on extended business trips are flocking to week-long rental housing over hotels. "Samsam M2" posted Q1 contracts and transaction volume up 3x YoY. "Liv Anywhere" saw ultra-short rental listings nearly double from 6,700 in 2023 to 12,000 in 2024. **2️⃣ Chosun Hotel Outperforms** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.ftoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=340117) **TL;DR:** Chosun Hotel posts record results while rest of sector struggles. **The story:** Chosun Hotel & Resort reported ₩655B in revenue (17.8%▲ YoY) and ₩41.5B in operating profit (3%▲) — a record high. Foreign guests account for over 80% of occupancy at Seoul downtown properties. **3️⃣ Go Anywhere** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.traveltimes.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=412071) **TL;DR:** May holiday weekend top travel search = "anywhere cheap." **The story:** With Labor Day, Buddha's Birthday, and Children's Day substitute holiday creating a golden week in May, Skyscanner data reveals Koreans prioritize price over destination when booking trips. **4️⃣ Yeogi Eottae 2024 Results** [👉\[Full story\]](https://www.hankyung.com/article/202504151508g) **TL;DR:** Yeogi Eottae posted ₩249B revenue, ₩56.5B operating profit in 2024. **The story:** Operating profit rose 22% YoY to ₩56.5B. Active users surpassed 12 million, driving gross merchandise volume up 14%. International accommodation bookings jumped 2.3x. **5️⃣ Hospitality Sector Slump Persists** [👉\[Full story\]](https://news.kbs.co.kr/news/pc/view/view.do?ncd=8226210) **TL;DR:** Accommodation and food service slump hits 22-month record. **The story:** Korea's accommodation and food service production index fell 3.8% YoY to 103.8 in February 2025 — marking 22 consecutive months of decline (excluding one "flat" month in January 2024). It's the longest slump on record. ---