Tmap Mobility said on the 27th that an analysis of the top 1,000 destinations in four weeks of driving data from Jan. 1 to 25 over the past two years found that, rather than a drop in travel demand despite a severe cold snap at the start of the year, demand concentrated on places where people could take care of rest, leisure, and spending indoors.
The analysis found that hot springs saw the largest year-over-year increase in trips. The number of hot spring destination settings jumped 246.1% from a year earlier, far outpacing outdoor leisure destinations such as tourist attractions, famous mountains, and beaches. Yulam Oncheon Charcoal Kiln Theme Park in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, ranked No. 1 for the second straight year, while major hot springs nationwide, including Deokgu Oncheon Spa World in North Gyeongsang, Paradise Spa Dogo in South Chungcheong, and Heosimcheong in Busan, newly entered the top tier. The ability to achieve a high level of rest satisfaction even on a short schedule is analyzed as a factor driving demand growth.
Visits to cultural facilities also increased in step with the school break season. The number of destination settings for cultural facilities such as museums, theaters, and exhibition halls rose 16% from a year earlier. In particular, boosted by K-culture, the museum category increased 130.1% year over year, and theater visits climbed 26.4% on the strength of buzzworthy releases. Thanks to the popularity of experiential exhibitions, visits to major exhibition halls also grew 17.9%.
Trips in the shopping category expanded across the board. Department stores and mixed-use shopping malls drew concentrated demand as spaces where shopping, dining, and culture can be enjoyed at once. Driven by new store openings, IKEA destination settings increased 38.6% year over year. Traditional markets and general markets, which are less affected by the seasons due to their indoor arcade-style structures, also gained attention, with Ganghwa Pungmul Market and Mangwon Market newly entering the rankings, and related destination settings rising 34.4% from a year earlier.
A Tmap Mobility official said, "This early-year driving data shows that, rather than a reduction in travel, demand concentrated on destinations where people can take care of rest, spending, and leisure indoors," adding, "We plan to continue analyzing travel flows based on driving data according to seasonal and environmental changes to provide useful insights to users."