Yanolja Research

What makes a tourism city truly attractive? The 2026 Yanolja Attractiveness Index looks beyond infrastructure and visitor numbers to evaluate tourism cities from the traveler’s perspective—how cities are perceived, experienced, and remembered. The framework breaks Tourism City Attractiveness into 4 dimensions and 17 sub-dimensions: 🌿 Beauty & Natural Scenery Natural scenery and phenomena · Flora and fauna 🏛️ Culture & History Historical places · Educational places · Traditional culture · Religious attractions · Architectural and aesthetic attractions 🍽️ Experiential Content Food · Accommodations · Shopping · Theme parks · Nightlife · Sports · Activities · Festivals and events 🤝 Hospitality Friendliness of local residents · Friendliness of service providers The key idea is simple: tourism attractiveness is not merely the sum of a city’s resources. Nature and culture provide things to see, experiential content creates things to do, and hospitality shapes what travelers ultima...

Q2 2026 South Korea Lodging Performance Improved Acroos All Property Types  South Korea’s lodging market recorded broad-based growth in Q2 2026, with RevPAR improving across every major property type compared with Q2 2025. Occupancy growth generally outpaced ADR growth, indicating that demand recovery—not room-rate increases—was the primary performance driver. Key highlights: • 5-star hotels led the market with RevPAR up 32.2%, supported by a 21.6% increase in occupancy. • Vacation rentals and resorts followed with RevPAR growth of 22.4% and 20.7%, respectively. • The overall hotel/resort segment recorded ADR growth of 6.0%, occupancy growth of 9.1%, and RevPAR growth of 15.6%. • Pensions also returned to positive RevPAR growth, as higher occupancy offset a decline in ADR. The findings suggest that inbound tourism growth and seasonal demand recovery strengthened lodging performance across both premium and mid-to-lower-priced segments. For further details and the full analysis, plea...

 What Makes a Global Tourism City Stand Out in 2026? Global tourism competition is changing. Being famous still matters—but visibility alone is no longer enough . What increasingly separates leading destinations is their ability to turn recognition into positive experiences: memorable food, culture, activities, scenery, service, and hospitality. In other words, the cities that stand out are not simply those travelers know. They are the cities travelers know and love . Two Forces Shaping Tourism-City Attractiveness A destination’s position in the global tourism market can be understood through two complementary dimensions: Awareness: How widely is the city recognized and discussed? Attractiveness: How positively do people evaluate and feel about the city? Awareness helps a destination enter travelers’ consideration sets. Attractiveness helps turn that attention into satisfaction, recommendations, repeat visits, and lasting attachment. The key point: A city can be highly visible wi...

  Trend. Q2 2026 Trends in the Lodging Industry Performance by Lodging Type in Q2 2026 Compared to Q2 2025 Performance by Lodging Type in Q2 2026 Compared to Q1 2026 Lodging Business Outlook Index of Q3 2026 Changes in Operational Status by Property Type 1. Hotel Hotel Operating Status by Region and Star Rating 2. Motel Motel Operating Status by Region 3. Pension Pension Operating Status by Region 4. Vacation Rental Vacation Rental Operating Status by Region Issue. Perceived Japanese Lodging Demand in Korea and Lodging Industry Responses Japanese Inbound Tourism Demand to Korea Perceived Impact by Property Type Perceived Impact by Region Perceived Impact by Guest Type Responses from Propoerty Owners Yanolja Research Korean Lodging Industry Trends Report for Q2 2026

Which Northeast Asian City Offers the Most Satisfying Travel Experiences? ✈️🌏 According to a data-driven study by Yanolja Research analyzing TripAdvisor tourism products, tourist satisfaction varies across major Northeast Asian cities! Here is how international travelers rated their experiences (out of 5.0): 🥇 Beijing (4.91) – Tops the list with iconic heritage sites like the Great Wall & Forbidden City! 🥈 Busan (4.90) – Achieved an impressive 4.90 with the lowest rating variability (0.25), proving that deep, local identity-based experiences (Gamcheon Culture Village, Jagalchi Market) deliver world-class satisfaction! 🥉 Shanghai (4.89) – Blends historical charm and modern accessibility. 💡 Key Takeaway: High product volume alone doesn't guarantee top ratings. Delivering a strong, authentic sense of “city-ness” and high-quality, memorable storytelling is what truly turns travelers into fans! Check out more in Yanolja Researh Insights Vol.27. Yanolja Research Insights Vol.27 ...

Average Dining Costs in Major Cities🍽️ A typical restaurant meal costs $8.79 in Seoul and $6.76 in Busan—far below London ($26.80), New York ($25.00), and San Francisco ($25.00). Korea’s dining competitiveness extends beyond menu prices. Complimentary side dishes, free drinking water, and the absence of tipping or service charges add substantial value to the overall dining experience. While Seoul sits in the upper-middle price range among Asian cities, Korean dining remains highly competitive when total meal costs are considered. Explore the full analysis in Yanolja Research Insights Vol. 40:  Analysis of Price Competitiveness of Korean Tourist Cities: An International Comparison