Nearly half of Koreans say parents are the most stressful travel companions

More than four in five Koreans who have organized a group trip say the experience left them feeling psychologically burdened, a new survey shows. Travel platform Skyscanner has teamed up with author and mindfulness expert Kwak Jeong-eun to offer tailored advice on easing that stress and resolving common conflicts.

Skyscanner said Tuesday it had released a set of "smart group travel" tips developed with Kwak, a broadcaster, author and mindfulness specialist. The recommendations are based on a survey of 100 Korean travelers and in-depth analysis of their responses.

According to Skyscanner's "Smarter Summer Travel" report, 68 percent of Koreans are already planning a summer vacation. But the data also revealed a pattern of conflict and stress that sets in from the very planning stage of trips involving three or more people.

The survey found that in 74 percent of group trips, just one or two people took the lead on all the planning. Among those who had personally organized a group trip, 82.5 percent said they felt a psychological burden doing so — a sign that the so-called "travel point person" role carries a disproportionate weight.

Kwak advised travelers to avoid shouldering everything alone and instead distribute tasks — such as navigation and reservations — among group members, so that everyone becomes an "emotional shareholder" with a stake in the trip. She also said groups should align their psychological priorities in advance, identifying what each person considers non-negotiable, so they can more easily find common ground when unexpected situations arise.

On the question of booking flights, the survey flagged the risk of itinerary changes leaving group members on different planes. As a solution, it recommended using a group booking feature that allows all travelers to be added and confirmed simultaneously.

Generational and personality differences emerged as another source of group travel friction. When asked who they found most stressful to travel with, 49 percent of respondents named their parents. Some said they felt worn down by reactions that persisted despite careful preparation and backup plans — including "It's not as good as I expected" (65.1 percent), "I don't care, anything is fine" (49.2 percent) and "The food is too salty" (39.7 percent).

Kwak said parents' complaints often reflect physical fatigue or an underlying anxiety about being a burden to their children, rather than genuine dissatisfaction. "Instead of taking it as simple grumbling and getting irritated in return, it helps to pause, wait for the tension to ease, and listen without judgment to what they are really feeling," she said. She added that ending each day by sharing three favorite moments out loud can help reshape the trip into a more positive memory.

For trips with parents, where itinerary changes are more likely, the report also recommended booking accommodations with free cancellation to maintain flexibility.

Money was also cited as a major source of conflict. Respondents said group trips ended up costing an average of 15.6 percent more than originally budgeted.

Kwak recommended setting aside a contingency fund of around 15 percent to ease the anxiety of whoever is managing the group's finances. She added that rather than fixating on getting the best value for every expense, groups should agree in advance on what they are willing to spend freely on — so the enjoyment of travel is not lost in the pursuit of frugality.

Skyscanner travel expert Jessica Min said that while traveling together is itself a joy and a valuable experience, the burden of planning can sometimes overshadow that pleasure. "Rather than packing the schedule to the brim, I recommend fixing just one or two key activities per day and leaving the rest flexible — so the focus stays on the time spent together," she said.