'Closer to home' this Chuseok: China, Japan and Southeast Asia dominate bookings

This year's Chuseok holiday is drawing travelers toward nearby overseas destinations, with demand concentrated on short-haul Asian routes and early-holiday departures.

Hanatour Service said Tuesday that its analysis of Chuseok booking trends showed reservations heavily skewed toward close-range destinations.

Based on bookings as of Thursday for package tours departing Sept. 23 through Sept. 27, short-haul destinations — China, Japan and Southeast Asia — accounted for about 88 percent of total reservations. The pattern reflects the nature of the four-day public holiday, with travelers favoring destinations reachable with minimal transit time, in that order.

China saw a rise in bookings driven by autumn peak-season demand for nature retreats centered on Zhangjiajie and Baekdusan, combined with an expansion of flight routes made possible by the visa-free policy. Reservations for Shanghai also increased, pointing to a split in preference between natural scenery and urban destinations.

Japan showed distinct demand patterns based on travel companions. Osaka, with its theme parks and shopping, was popular among families with young children, while North Kyushu, known for its hot springs, drew travelers taking their parents on a filial-piety trip.

About 66 percent of departures were concentrated on the first day of the holiday (Thursday) and the day before (Wednesday), reflecting a strong early-holiday surge. Thursday — the first day of the holiday, when no annual leave is needed — accounted for the largest share at 42 percent, followed by Sunday at 24 percent among those using one day of annual leave to extend their trip.

Hanatour Service plans to expand its charter flight offerings to meet Chuseok demand. For the popular Osaka route, the company will deploy charter flights operated by Para-ta Airlines, Peach Aviation and Air Seoul from Sept. 23 through Sept. 25. For Sapporo, it has secured daily departures from Sunday through Wednesday using charter flights with Jejuair and Eastar Jet.

"Bookings have concentrated on short-haul destinations within roughly five hours of flight time, in line with the nature of this year's holiday period," a Hanatour Service official said. "We plan to expand charter flight operations on high-demand routes to improve customer convenience."