Jeju beaches were not officially opened last weekend but were already crowded with tourists. According to the Jeju Tourism Association, 99,161 tourists visited Jeju amid COVID-19 from June 26-28.
Of the total, 99.7 percent are Koreans. Domestic flights to Jeju Island this month decreased by 27 percent compared to the previous year, and hotels have left some rooms empty in order to keep a social distance amid the pandemic situation. Considering COVID-19 still occupies our daily lives, this number is surprisingly high.
Until April, the domestic consumer market was frozen like ice. Consumer sentiment has slowly recovered since last month, and with the holiday season approaching, there is a sign of a “revenge consumption” craze. As traveling abroad has become difficult due to the Corona pandemic (global craze), shoppers are opening their wallets close by.
The phenomenon of “localization (localization) of consumption” is starting in earnest.
Luxury hotels in Jeju such as Lotte and Shilla are fully booked every weekend except for rooms that were intentionally left empty for social distance amid COVID-19. Jeju car rental companies have recently recovered their income which had plunged nearly 60 to 70 percent since the COVID-19 outbreak.
According to an analysis of travel product sales in the first half of this year (January to June 25), overseas travel sales fell 75 percent year-on-year, and domestic hotel and leasehold sales increased 27 percent.