According to a recent survey, solo camping is becoming increasingly popular as the pandemic continues.
More people are choosing to leave behind friends and family and take time to enjoy nature alone.
Mike Laidman reports.
Report
Last year’s hottest tourism trend was…camping.
To come to the conclusion, the Jeju Tourism Organization analyzed 126,989 posts and comments posted on social media over the last two years.
“Camping” was the fastest growing searched word.
Before COVID-19 hit, the number of searches for camping was 870, but in the months after the outbreak, the number more than doubled, reaching 1,800 hits.
The number of searches for “car camping, caravan, camping site, and camping car” also increased up to almost 300% in some cases.
According to the analysis of video clips posted on social media, traditional camping with backpacks accounted for 37 percent, and car camping, for 30 percent.
Notably, solo camping accounted for 45 percent of results, couple camping for 31 percent, camping with friends, 14 percent, with small-group camping bringing up the rear.
The most popular camping sites in Jeju are (금능) Geumneung Beach, (우도) Udo Island, and (비양도) Biyangdo Island.
The most-searched keywords vary by region.
For (성산) Seongsan, (구좌) Gujwa, and (조천) Jocheon, natural beauty and tourist activities are the most searched and commented terms.
People tend to go to (안덕) Andeok and (한경) Hangyeon for the flowers, while in (애월) Aewol and (한림) Hallim, it’s the cafes which tend to draw people.
INTERVIEW
Koh Sun-young / Director, JTO Tourism Research Center
We discovered that an increasing number of tourists desire more varied activities. This has contributed to developing specialized content for different regions.
<인터뷰 : 고선영 / 제주관광공사 연구조사센터장>
자연 경관을 관람하는 관광은 기존에도 있었지만, 조금 더 다양하게 체험해보고자 하는 욕구가 있어서 지역적으로도 특화된 콘텐츠가 나타나고 있다는 새로운 사실도 알게 됐습니다.
The Jeju Tourism Organization expects the new camping craze to continue for the foreseeable future as COVID-19 continues to restrict other travel plans.
Mike Laidman, KCTV