Where are Korean tourists going for their holidays now they are shunning Japan?
Export disputes between the two countries have led travellers from Korea to turn to other destinations for their holidays
An increasing number of South Korean tourists are choosing not to visit neighbouring Japan.
The move comes after relations between the two nations have been tested following disputes over Japan's export restrictions on South Korea and Seoul's move to end a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo.
Travellers are choosing other regional destinations instead, with those in Southeast Asia leading the way.
Among their top choices is Taiwan – just less that a two hours’ flight away from Incheon International Airport, Korea's main gateway for air travellers.
The top overseas destinations for Koreans for September’s Chuseok – Korean Thanksgiving Day – were Taipei, followed by the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the Japanese cities of Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo
Recent online surveys show Taiwan is among the top holiday destinations for Koreans.
Digital Chosun Ilbo, the Korean newspaper, reported that on August 29, Taipei was selected by most users of Korean hotel accommodation reservation platform Agoda as the overseas destination for Chuseok – Korean Thanksgiving Day – which this year falls on Friday September 13.
The Taiwanese capital was followed by the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the Japanese cities of Fukuoka, Osaka and Tokyo.
In another survey by the job-seeking website, Saramin, on August 28, about 20 per cent of more than 2,500 Korean office workers said that they would travel to Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau for the holiday. Only 8 per cent chose Japan – a sharp drop from 35 per cent from the same survey one year ago.
Compared with 2018, Korean tourists’ demand for Japan between July and August was down 72 per cent, while Taiwan – benefiting from the Korea-Japan conflicts – rose 7 per cent, according to the Korean research agency, Consumer Insight.