ETW Staff – Mumbai
Amadeus has released research into the big four travel effects that will shape the future of travel in Korea. The research shows that growth potential in Korea may be stronger than other markets in Asia Pacific. The study was unveiled at the Collaborate 2013 conference in Seoul, hosted by Amadeus and TOPAS.
Titled, “Shaping the future of travel in Korea: the big FOUR travel effects” and conducted in partnership with Frost and Sullivan, the report highlights the growth of Korea’s travel industry in the last 30 years, mirroring the country’s emergence on the global economic stage. International departures have grown by more than 12 per cent annually since 1980, with annual departures equivalent to 25 per cent of the population.
Inbound travel is also growing; the government met its target of 10 million visitors in 2012 and continues to reach record numbers for arrivals in 2013. Much of this growth is coming from China, India and Indonesia, as Korea continues to develop its reputation as a ‘cool’ destination due to the popularity of Korean culture including food, fashion and music.
Korea’s highly tech-savvy population and a strong social media culture means that travel companies will need to communicate with their customers using increasingly sophisticated technology. And the travel industry as a whole will need to continue investing in infrastructure in order to handle the growing number of travellers both inbound and outbound.
Commenting on the research findings, Angel Gallego, president, Amadeus Asia Pacific said, “Korea is one of the most exciting travel markets in Asia Pacific and one of the most rapidly evolving travel markets in the world. With Korea’s increasing popularity as a destination for younger travellers, and startling numbers of Koreans venturing abroad for business and leisure, both inbound and outbound travel are seeing enormous growth. However, upgrades to existing infrastructure will be needed to manage these higher volumes of travellers and their changing expectations and demands.”
