International travel to Japan and South Korea gets cheaper during Spring Festival, while prices to mainland China rise the most

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

With the winter vacation and Spring Festival travel peak arriving, prices for travel packages across various routes have gone up due to concentrated outbound demand and limited flight availability. In response, the Republic of China Travel Quality Assurance Association has released reference prices for tour groups from January to March 2013. Compared to last year, due to factors such as exchange rates, oil prices, or higher ticket prices compared to the same period last year, there has been an increase of approximately NT$1,000 to NT$7,000 for tours to destinations such as mainland China, North America & Canada, Europe, New Zealand & Australia, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia. Among these, the mainland China region saw the largest price hike of up to NT$10,000, while Southeast Asia tour prices remained stable. Tours to Northeast Asia, specifically Japan and South Korea, dropped by about NT$1,000 to NT$5,000.

The nine-day Spring Festival holiday has led many people to start planning their overseas trips early. Taking the United States as an example, where overall prices have risen by about NT$1,000 to NT$7,000, sales of related travel packages during the Spring Festival have already exceeded 50% due to the visa waiver effect, with some time slots even surpassing 80%. Meanwhile, for mainland China — a key focus during the Spring Festival — prices have increased by approximately NT$3,000 to NT$10,000 due to rising oil prices, general inflation, and high direct flight costs. Despite this, travel packages to regions such as Beijing, Shanghai, and East China have still sold around 30%, showing strong demand in the Spring Festival outbound travel market that remains unaffected by the economic downturn.

For those looking to save money, Northeast Asia destinations such as Japan and South Korea are worth considering. In Japan, as well as in Busan and Jeju in South Korea, prices have dropped by about NT$1,000 to NT$5,000 compared to last year, thanks to the weaker yen affecting pricing, and airlines increasing flights to certain destinations. In particular, flights to Busan and Jeju in South Korea have also increased, leading to a price drop of about NT$2,000. However, Seoul in South Korea has seen a price increase of about NT$2,000 compared to the previous year due to airlines reflecting higher flight costs at certain destinations.

 

● Read more: Sentosa World 12/7 Opens, World’s Largest Aquarium Debuts in Singapore

http://goo.gl/HoiYx