Dongdaemun replaced by Rakuten Gate? South Korea’s cancellation rate tops 70% as travelers shift to Japan

▲ MERS is deterring many travelers from visiting South Korea. (Photo / DAGYI Images / AP)

Reported by Chen Rui-zhong / Taipei

Recently, travelers planning to visit South Korea are most concerned about the health risks posed by MERS, leading some to cancel their trips. According to estimates by the Travel Quality Assurance Association of the Republic of China, the current cancellation rate for South Korea tours has exceeded 70%, with many travelers reallocating their budgets to trips to Japan.

Lin Ying-ming, spokesperson for the Travel Quality Assurance Association, stated that among the wave of over 70% cancellations, trips to Seoul in June were the most affected. Trips scheduled after August are relatively less impacted due to the longer time frame, but this time even destinations like Busan and Jeju have been affected, which remains a significant blow to travel agencies.

Lin Ying-ming pointed out that since the travel alert level for Seoul is currently yellow and other regions are at the gray level, travelers canceling their trips must compensate travel agencies 10% to 100% of the cost according to the standardized travel contract. Other potential issues include airline ticket handling fees and hotel booking deposits. Therefore, various travel agencies have introduced contingency measures, such as helping to retain bookings until the end of the year or switching to tours in other countries, to reduce customer losses and hopefully retain their clientele.

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As many Korean travelers had already planned their trips, many opted to “change travel destinations” to cope with the MERS situation in South Korea. Lin Ying-ming said that in terms of price, Southeast Asian countries and Japan are similar in budget to traveling to South Korea. However, due to shorter flight times and favorable exchange rates in Japan, many travelers are covering the price difference to switch to Japan, making an already popular destination even hotter.

Lin Ying-ming stated that South Korea travel options include independent travel, group tours, and fully self-guided trips, as well as transportation via low-cost and traditional airlines, along with different cancellation policies and necessary costs among various providers. Travelers must thoroughly understand the contract details of their group tours, flights, and hotels, as well as the deposits and handling fees involved in cancellations, to avoid additional disputes. If there are any questions, assistance can also be sought through the Travel Quality Assurance Association.