Autumn in Korea attracts Vietnamese tourists thanks to discounted airfares

The number of Vietnamese tourists buying tours to see autumn in Korea increased by 15-20% compared to the same period last year because of reasonable airfares and easy visa procedures.

Thao Nguyen, 29 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City, plans to spend 50-55 million VND for a self-guided tour of Korea with her family of three in early November. For two consecutive years, Nguyen has chosen to go to Korea in the fall because the cost is cheaper than going to Japan and the visa application process is easier than Taiwan. Autumn in Korea also attracts Nguyen because of the pleasant weather, beautiful scenery, less crowded than summer and not too cold like winter or spring. Airfare to Korea in the fall is also past its peak period.

"The plane ticket I booked in November is about 4 million VND round trip, 1.5-2 million VND cheaper than in the summer," said Ms. Nguyen.

She added that applying for a visa to Korea is simpler and easier than going to Japan or Taiwan. The female tourist once hesitated to choose Taiwan because the cost was similar, but realized that the self-sufficient visa application process had many procedures and low pass rate than going to Korea.

Thao Nguyen took a photo with the yellow leaf forest on Nami Island in late October 2023. Photo: NVCC

"Visa service providers quote 5 million VND for a file to go to Taiwan, and only 2.5 million VND for a file to go to Korea," said Ms. Nguyen, adding that she chose to apply for a single-entry tourist visa to Korea through a service to save time and receive results after 16 days.

Ms. Phuong Thao, from Hanoi, chose to buy a 5-day, 4-night tour to Korea for her family of 5, not joining a group, at a price of about 16 million VND per person. Ms. Thao believes that the price of the tour to Korea is within her financial capacity and the itinerary is suitable for the travel needs of a family of three generations.

"The Japan tour is more expensive, the Taiwan tour is the same price, but we have been there several times so we chose to go to Korea, the tour schedule is light," said Ms. Thao, adding that buying a package tour for the family helps save time on visa procedures, and does not have to think about places to visit, eating and sleeping schedules.

According to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO), Vietnam is the fifth country with the most tourists visiting the country globally and the first in Southeast Asia in 2023 with 420,000 visitors. In the first 8 months of this year, Korea welcomed 389,000 Vietnamese visitors, an increase of 27% over the same period in 2023. The number of Vietnamese visitors to Korea is expected to increase sharply during the most beautiful season of yellow leaves of the year.

Grandfather Pham Anh Vu, Deputy General Director of Tourism Company Viet said that compared to the same period last year, the number of Vietnamese tourists traveling to Korea this fall has grown strongly. As of October, the company's number of customers increased by 15-20% compared to the same period.

Traditional hanok house in Hwadam forest surrounded by red maple trees, October 2023. Photo: Nguyen Tran Hieu

"The price of autumn tours to Korea is currently more competitive than some other Northeast Asian markets such as Japan or Taiwan," said Mr. Vu, adding that the company has promotional programs for Korean tourism such as buying 10 air tickets and getting one more free; discounts for groups of 3-4 people; giving away food vouchers or souvenirs to customers who book tours early. Other factors such as reasonable airfares, from 4-6 million VND round trip, cool weather, and yellow and red leaf scenery, are the driving forces behind Vietnamese tourists choosing to travel to Korea at this time.

According to KTO, Seoraksan Mountain in Seorakan National Park, Gangwon Province is the first place in Korea where the leaves turn yellow. The leaves start changing color from September 29 and are at their brightest from late October to early November.

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, Director of Marketing and Communications Department of Vietlux Travel Company, said that as of the end of September, the number of tourists traveling to Korea increased by about 30% compared to the same period in 2023.

According to a survey of some tourism businesses in Ho Chi Minh City, the price of air tickets to Korea in October-December ranges from 4-6 million VND round trip. This year's price is considered reasonable compared to the same period in previous years, at 5-7 million VND. Package tour prices range from 14 million VND to 28 million VND depending on the route, service and time.

BenThanh Toursit is selling tours such as Seoul - Nami - Everland Park for 5 days and 4 nights, priced at 17 million VND. Meanwhile, the Taiwan tour Taichung - Taipei - Kaohsiung for 6 days and 5 nights costs 16 million VND.

Seoul - Lotte World - Elysian Ski Resort 5 days 4 nights tour costs 18 million VND, not much different from the price of the China tour Chengdu - Jiuzhaigou 5 days 4 nights, priced at 19 million VND. Japan tours are the most expensive in the Northeast Asia tour route, from 30 million VND

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu commented that tour prices and airfares to the Korean market are being offered quite well by travel companies and airlines, aiming to stimulate demand and increase competitiveness with other Northeast Asian destinations.

According to Vietluxtour representative, Vietnamese tourists traveling to Korea are often divided into two trends, booking package tours or booking free & easy packages (basic services such as airfare and accommodation). Family groups often prioritize package tours because of the full range of services. Groups of office travelers and young tourists often prefer free & easy or book individual services to take the initiative in their schedules.

Most Vietnamese tourists like to visit and take photos to check in at their destinations. Many tourists invest in professional costumes and cameras to capture the most beautiful images during their trip, especially during cherry blossom season and autumn.

"With the autumn tour program to Korea, the company will pay special attention to the sightseeing experience and spend a lot of time on photo tours to meet the needs of tourists," said Ms. Bao Thu.

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