“Seoul remains a global hot spot as summer approaches”

In May of this year, Seoul, Republic of Korea, nabbed the top spot in global flight bookings, with inbound flights to Korea for this summer soaring by 63%. This spike in demand can be attributed to the allure of various K-performance events like the ‘2026 Waterbomb’ and ‘2026 Pentaport Rock Festival.

Trip.com Group, the operators of Trip.com, meticulously examined the flight data from the first half of 2026 and trends in summer vacation bookings. Their analysis revealed that the travel buzz around Seoul persists into the busy summer season. Seoul ranked as the top city globally for flight reservations with this trend extending well into July and August. The surge in inbound bookings to Korea this summer marking a 63% increase from the previous year further solidified its appeal. Seoul maintained the leading spot in the East Asia city rankings, showcasing a 53% growth from the previous year, while Busan also experienced significant growth, securing the ninth spot with a remarkable 108% increase.

Originating from various countries, Japan led the way in flight bookings to Korea, followed by Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Canada. It is noteworthy that Germany made its way into the top ten countries for flights to Korea from Europe, signifying a broader global interest in Korean travel experiences.

The popularity of K-culture content drew overseas visitors, with the most booked events being ‘Waterbomb Seoul 2026’ and ‘Waterbomb Busan 2026’, capturing the top two spots, while the ‘2026 Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival’ rounded up the list at ninth place. This highlights the significant role that Korean cultural content, including K-pop and music festivals, plays in attracting inbound tourists.

Tourists from overseas also showed an inclination towards exploring different regions within Korea. Notably, the Seoul-Busan train route was the most frequented, with routes like Busan-Gyeongju and Seoul-Gyeongju following closely. This trend indicates a rising preference among travelers who venture beyond Seoul to explore major cities like Busan and Gyeongju for a well-rounded regional experience.

Trip.com Group highlighted ‘short trips (Short)’, ‘cool destinations (Cool)’, and ‘family-centered (Family)’ as the prevailing trends in the Korean travel market this summer. Shorter journeys emerged as the preferred choice for Korean travelers, with trips lasting four days or fewer amounting to 64% of the total, as opposed to long-haul voyages, which accounted for 9%. This inclination towards short trips continued into the latter half of the year, with a 51% surge in short-trip bookings departing from Korea.

Domestic travel witnessed a surge in demand as well, with domestic travel bookings by Korean travelers skyrocketing by 97% compared to the previous year. Among the most visited domestic areas were Seoul, Busan, Jeju, Seogwipo, Incheon, Gangneung, Sokcho, Daegu, Gyeongju, and Yeosu. Daegu notably experienced an impressive year-on-year growth of 230% in bookings.

The trend of ‘coolcations (Coolcation)’, featuring destinations with cooler climates and activities, gained popularity amidst the escalating temperatures worldwide. For Korean travelers, popular summer destinations included Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, and Fukuoka, with Ulaanbaatar and Sapporo witnessing a significant increase in demand due to their cooler climates.

Moreover, family trips during school vacations observed a notable global upswing, with bookings for family travel in Korea spiking by 120% from the previous year. The trend towards family-centered travel was evident across East Asia, with a stark rise in hotel bookings accompanied by children aged 12 or under in key markets like Korea, mainland China, and Japan.

Commenting on the evolving travel landscape, Hong Jong-min, Trip.com Korea General Manager, emphasized the growing demand for differentiated travel experiences tailored to the preferences and purposes of travelers. As the inbound demand centered around Seoul continues to expand, Trip.com remains committed to delivering enhanced and bespoke travel experiences that resonate with evolving travel trends and customer needs.