Quick summary:
- Koreans use a mix of international and Korean search sites
- Agoda and Naver are the first choices when looking up accommodation
- People in their 40s spend the most on accommodation, closely followed by people in their 30s and 50s
- Naver and YouTube are the first choices when planning out activities
Finding the right room at the right price: Challenge accepted
When travelling, you need to find your temporary home away from home. A fitting accommodation that caters to each person’s individual needs and makes them feel comfortable even far away from home is a solid foundation for anyone to enjoy a trip abroad to the fullest. When Koreans make the choice to travel abroad, where do they search for the perfect place online?
According to Open Survey, the answer for almost all is Agoda. The booking platform provides offers for flights, transportation and activities and is the most appreciated by Koreans when it comes to finding the best accommodation for their travel plans overseas. Another popular choice is of course Naver as a strong second choice among 30- to 50-year-olds. People in their 20s on the other hand favor Trip.com over Naver and for them push the much loved Korean search site to third place.
As a second Korean search site, Hana Tour is the third place to go to for Koreans when searching and booking their accommodation. For 60-year-olds, Hana Tour is even the first choice above all others. Honorable mentions go out to Hotel Combined and Hotels.com as international sites to find the best room for the night.
When looking at the price tag for their accommodation overseas, Koreans spend an average of 207,100 won (171.39 USD) per night on their accommodation. The age group spending the lowest amount per night with 165,400 won (136.88 USD) are 20-year-olds. On the other end of the spectrum, 40-year-olds spend the highest amount of 238,000 won (196.96 USD) per night on accommodation.
The best Korean search site chosen by Koreans for their activity schedule
As mentioned in part 1 of our travel series, Koreans like a variety of activities when travelling overseas, whether that be a restaurant visit, sightseeing or a trip to the nearest hot spring. But how to discover all the possibilities on how to spend your day in a place you don’t know well? The Korean search site Naver comes to the rescue. Naver is the first site Koreans consult when researching and booking their activities for their travels. As a very close second YouTube actually established itself as a research platform for possible activities.
Hana Tour is another frequent Korean search site for activity planning, while ranking very differently among various age groups. Just like when booking their accommodation, 60-year-olds are also loyal to Hana Tour as their first researching platform when it comes to deciding what to do on their holiday.
Google is a well-liked tool for 20- and 30-year-olds, as well as Instagram for the 20-year-olds who generally also like to consult international search engines to find their inspiration on how to make the most of their stay abroad.
Conclusion
Planning a trip overseas can be challenging, but with the help of the right search engines and platforms, Koreans know exactly how to enjoy their time abroad to the fullest. Both local as well as international search sites are used to find accommodation, locate the best restaurants in town or book an adventurous trip to popular local landmarks. Getting on the same page with your target audience about what Korean search site is used most will help you connect to your audience more easily and effectively.
Did you miss part 1 and 2 of our travel series about travel preferences, the top 7 overseas travel destinations and channels for travel documentation? Or did you read through them all and want to expand your knowledge even more? Contact us for more information and a personalized approach to your marketing strategy and ad placement on the Korean market.
Stay competitive in Korea’s digital market with Waterbe by subscribing our newsletter and mastering Ads 101!