On the 24th, the mobility platform SOCAR announced that it will disclose the cherry blossom hotspots compiled based on user stop data.
This stop data was extracted based on the locations of vehicles that were parked with the engine off for more than 30 minutes and less than 6 hours within a 1 km radius of nationwide cherry blossom hotspots during the flowering period last year (March to April). According to the data, the most visited place by SOCAR users to see the cherry blossoms last year was Daereungwon in Gyeongju. Following Daereungwon, the second most popular cherry blossom outing spot was Deoksugung in Seoul, indicating a preference for historical locations where visitors can experience not only the cherry blossoms but also a sense of the past.
The demand for large parks where visitors can enjoy cherry blossoms leisurely despite large crowds was also confirmed. The popular cherry blossom hotspots among SOCAR members ranked 3rd to 5th were ▲Ilsan Lake Park ▲Seoul Forest Park ▲Namsan Park. The traditional cherry blossom hotspot ▲Yeouido Park ranked 7th, following the representative cherry blossom spot in Jinhae, Changwon, ▲Yeojangcheon. Additionally, ▲Dongchon Resort (Daegu) ▲Wonin Jae Cherry Blossom Road (Incheon) ▲E-WORLD (Daegu) were listed among the top 10 nationwide cherry blossom hotspots.
SOCAR presents the "Cherry Blossom Special Package" to enable more comfortable and safe cherry blossom outings, which includes car sharing, parking, and bicycles. First, a 22,000 won immediate discount coupon for car sharing is being provided to everyone. The coupon can be applied when using car sharing for 6 hours in inland areas. A 20% discount coupon for parking, aimed at reducing parking burdens, is also offered. The coupon can be used at partner parking lots registered in the All Parking app. A 50% discount coupon for SOCAR electric bicycles, available for enjoying cherry blossom rides, is also provided. The coupon applies when usage exceeds 10 minutes. The Cherry Blossom Special Package can be received until April 13.
Ahn Hong-ki, the head of SOCAR's Service Growth Group, noted, "In anticipation of the full cherry blossom blooming season, we have prepared a special package that allows for seamless solutions for transportation, parking, and bicycle riding required for cherry blossom outings," and added, "We hope you enjoy the cherry blossom hotspots across the country more conveniently and leisurely with SOCAR."