South Korea

Market Background

South Korean leisure travellers are most interested and likely to visit Canada in the summer months of July-August (25% of travellers), but also have high interest in May-June (23%), and September-October (25%).  

Top factors influencing South Korean leisure travellers choice to come to Canada include the opportunity to relax, outdoor experiences, and destination safety. In general, South Korean leisure travellers are most interested in participating in nature-based experiences – hiking or waking in nature, oceanside beaches, seeing mountains or waterfalls, and visiting nature parks. South Korean leisure travellers also have a strong interest in culinary activities such as trying local food and drink, culinary tours or cooking classes, and culinary festivals.  

Travel agents and tour operators play a substantial role in supporting travel from South Korea to Canada, with 86% of potential South Korean leisure visitors indicating that they are likely to use a travel agent to research or book a trip to Canada. 

Though South Korean leisure travellers have a high preference to travel fully independently on a trip to Canada (42%), guided tours/excursions, either as part of independent travel (24%) or as fully organized group tour packages via a travel agent or tour operator (16%), are also considered by South Korean leisure travellers.  

For more information on ongoing travel recovery and anticipated visitation from South Korea in 2023, please refer to Destination Canada’s latest Tourism Outlook.