Lotus flowers bloom at Deokjin Park in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Group
As Korea’s tourism business appears towards 2026, it’s sharpening its give attention to personalization, regional journey and experience-driven spending, formed by shifting traveler conduct, the rising use of synthetic intelligence (AI) and a weaker received that has affected some abroad demand.
Trade knowledge and international surveys recommend that each inbound and outbound vacationers are shifting away from inflexible itineraries in favor of journeys that mirror their identities, values and even fantasies, more and more counting on AI to assist resolve the place to go, what to do and whom to journey with.
Extra various inbound routes and areas
Journey platform Journey.com expects abroad demand for journey to Korea to proceed broadening in 2025 and into 2026, with guests coming from a wider vary of departure cities relatively than simply main hubs.
Bookings to Korea are rising not solely in conventional markets like Japan, mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Hong Kong, but in addition from secondary cities comparable to Tokushima, Datong, Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Tashkent, the place new or expanded direct flights have improved entry. This implies Korea’s inbound market is shifting away from big-city gateways towards a extra diversified community of origin factors.
As soon as in Korea, international vacationers are more and more stringing collectively multi-city itineraries as a substitute of staying in a single vacation spot. Journey.com stories rising use of KTX reservations that join Seoul and Busan with regional cities comparable to Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang Province and Daejeon, indicating that extra guests are exploring a number of areas on one journey and treating the nation as a multi-stop route relatively than a one-city break.
A nighttime view of Hocheon Village on a hillside in Beomcheon-dong, Busan / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Group
Expertise-led itineraries, Busan’s rise
On-line conduct from Journey.com additionally factors to a widening hole between what guests browse and what they really e-book.
Within the early strategy planning stage, vacationers nonetheless analysis basic points of interest like N Seoul Tower and standard performances in Myeong-dong, which stay among the many most seen Korean landmarks and cultural choices.
On the level of buy, nevertheless, bookings tilt towards leisure and native experiential content material, with merchandise just like the “Wild Wild Present” and Haeundae Blueline Park drawing sturdy click-through and reservation numbers.
Curiosity in Haeundae, Songjeong Seashore and different Busan-area points of interest is increasing, positioning the port metropolis as a rising content-driven inbound vacation spot relatively than only a secondary cease after Seoul.
That pattern is prone to strengthen in 2026 as regional tourism boards and operators spend money on distinctive, “solely there” experiences and as international vacationers more and more search immersive, story-driven journeys.
A street winds by a snowy panorama in Goseong, Gangwon Province. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Group
Outbound journey beneath strain, however extra curated
On the outbound aspect, Korean vacationers are additionally prioritizing experiences, at the same time as a weak received and excessive airfares put strain on demand.
Journey.com knowledge point out that Korean bookings for excursions and attraction tickets overseas jumped 127 % year-on-year, displaying that what individuals can do on the vacation spot — past flights and lodges — is now a key determination issue. Quick, high-intensity journeys constructed round clear themes are gaining favor, with Japan and China seeing renewed demand centered on leisure, theme parks and city-based content material.
On the similar time, elevated trade charges are cooling some outbound site visitors and pushing journey firms to recalibrate.
Main journey businesses have reported a decline in outbound journey, significantly to Japan and Southeast Asia, prompting them to advertise comparatively cheaper and relatively secure choices comparable to tour packages to China, whereas on-line platforms have rolled out coupons to assist offset larger prices.
Dwelling purchasing channels are pivoting additional into home tourism, sharply rising airtime for native journeys and rail-based merchandise comparable to winter “snow practice” packages to Gangwon Province, as extra customers search for shorter, lower-cost breaks at dwelling.
Guests stretch beneath a tree at Garimseong Fortress in Buyeo, South Chungcheong Province. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Group
2026: worth, wellness and AI companions
Main company Hanatour frames its 2026 forecast across the key phrase “M.O.M.E.N.T.U.M.,” arguing that vacationers’ selections will more and more begin from the self and radiate outward into how they use AI, spend, socialize and assemble that means by journey.
It highlights “aware worth,” the place individuals pay extra consideration to how journeys align with their private values — whether or not by price-efficiency or premium experiences — with medium- to high-priced packages already accounting for greater than half of some gross sales.
Wellness and nature-focused breaks are anticipated to broaden additional beneath the label “natural vitality,” backed by double-digit development in trekking bookings as vacationers search to revive bodily and psychological vitality in mountains, forests and coastal settings.
On the similar time, AI is shifting from software to companion, with Hanatour’s H-AI service seeing consumer numbers surge because it helps clients search, plan, seek the advice of in actual time and verify charges throughout the whole journey.
Different forecast themes embody “navigating private style,” as each youthful and older generations search for journeys tailor-made to their particular pursuits; “touring with new individuals,” with community-style merchandise for vacationers of their 20s and 30s increasing quickly; and “distinctive storytelling,” the place expert-led and niche-interest excursions promote out shortly as a result of they promise once-in-a-lifetime narratives. A rising style for “second seizing” spontaneous journeys can be rising, supported by immersive digital content material and dwell broadcasts that may set off fast, emotion-led bookings.
The solar units at Dadaepo Seashore in Dadae-dong, Busan. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Group
World developments: fantasy, tech and self-reward
Reserving.com’s 2026 Journey Developments report, primarily based on responses from practically 29,000 vacationers in 33 nations together with Korea, factors to related shifts in traveler psychology and conduct worldwide.
Globally, journeys have gotten a automobile for self-expression relatively than a set of mounted itineraries, with vacationers utilizing holidays to discover or carry out variations of themselves — from romantic fantasy results in wellness-focused “future selves.”
One headline pattern is “romantasy” getaways, the place romance and fantasy merge as vacationers search locations impressed by fictional worlds and storylines. A big majority of Korean respondents say they’re inquisitive about journeys influenced by romantasy, and greater than half are open to role-playing in fantasy-themed environments, signaling rising demand for immersive, narrative-heavy merchandise comparable to drama-location excursions and themed stays.
Know-how is a vital enabler of those experiences. Greater than 4 in 5 Korean vacationers within the survey stated they already use AI instruments to find fantasy-appropriate lodging, filming areas and hidden spots, echoing the way in which Korean businesses and platforms are integrating advice engines into journey planning.
Different international developments prone to intersect with Korea’s tourism market embody “humanoid” trip leases staffed by service robots, relationship “stress take a look at” journeys that reveal compatibility beneath strain, and “pantry memento” journey that builds demand for locations recognized for kitchenware, condiments and elements.
Reserving.com additionally identifies quiet nature escapes targeted on remark relatively than exercise, astrology-guided “future” journeys, pores and skin care-centered “glowcations” and nostalgia-driven journeys that revisit locations from previous images with the assistance of AI mapping.
A robust “self-reward” present runs by the report, with many vacationers reserving journeys to not mark exterior milestones however to acknowledge private achievements or life-style modifications comparable to sobriety or new well being routines.
