Travel preferences among South Koreans are shifting towards Asia, particularly Japan and China. Factors such as airfare and local costs are influencing destination choices, leading to a decline in visits to Europe and North America.
On November 2, BC Card analyzed overseas card usage data from the first half of each year between 2024 and 2026. This year, Asia accounted for 69.7% of major overseas travel destinations for South Koreans, a 10.5 percentage point increase from 59.2% in 2024.
In contrast, Europe and North America saw their shares drop to 14.2% and 10.6%, respectively, a decrease of 5.7 percentage points and 3.6 percentage points.
By country, Japan held the largest share at 38.7%, followed by China at 11.2%, Vietnam at 11.0%, and the United States at 10.5%. The shares for Japan and China increased by 8.9 percentage points and 5.8 percentage points, respectively, compared to two years ago.
The rising costs associated with long-distance travel are cited as a key factor behind this trend. BC Card noted, "The decrease in travel to Europe appears to be influenced by the slow recovery of long-distance travel demand and rising airfare and living costs." For North America, the strong dollar has increased local expenses.
There were also differences in card spending based on travel distance. The average daily card spending at long-distance destinations was 202,000 won, approximately 38% higher than the 146,000 won spent at closer destinations. However, this figure is based solely on card usage data and does not reflect total travel expenses, including airfare.
Spending habits varied by destination. In China, 66.3% of card transactions were for shopping, the highest among countries, followed by Japan at 65.9% and Taiwan at 56.4%. In contrast, the United States (34.8%), Australia (33.5%), and Thailand (32.7%) saw a higher proportion of card transactions in food and beverage categories.
Overseas travel spending is increasingly concentrated among repeat travelers. An analysis of card usage data from January of last year to June of this year revealed that customers who traveled abroad more than twice accounted for 33.9% of all overseas travelers but made up 68% of overseas card spending.
Among repeat travelers, 27.2% sought new destinations and enjoyed shopping, spending 80.9% of their overseas card expenditures on shopping. Meanwhile, 24.5% of repeat travelers preferred to revisit familiar destinations, with Japan accounting for 51% of their overseas card usage.
Income and spending levels also showed disparities. Customers with an annual income of over 100 million won exhibited overseas travel tendencies 2.2 times higher than the overall average, while those with monthly domestic credit card spending exceeding 3 million won traveled 2.9 times more.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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