Skip to main content

[Yanolja Research Insights] Vol.28 Unlocking Regional Skies: An Analysis of the Northeast Asian Air Network

Unlocking Regional Skies: Key Insights for the Future of Northeast Asian Air Travel


Rapid Recovery, Persistent Imbalances

  • Inbound tourism to Korea has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 2024 welcoming approximately 16.37 million international visitors—a 93.5% recovery rate from 2019.
  • However, the vast majority of foreign travelers still enter through Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports (about 73%), while regional airports account for only 15.1% of arrivals. This highlights a continued imbalance, with most tourism activity concentrated in the capital region.


Air Network Dynamics: Who Flies Where?

  • Korean airlines dominate international routes, operating nearly 67% of all scheduled flights, particularly on routes to Japan and Taiwan.
  • Foreign airline participation is highest on China routes, where Chinese carriers operate over 60% of flights. This contrasts sharply with Japan routes, where Korean carriers handle over 90% of flights.
  • Low-cost carriers (LCCs) have rapidly expanded, especially on Japan and Taiwan routes, further reinforcing Korean dominance and outbound-focused supply.


Regional Airport Connectivity: A Mixed Picture

  • Japan Routes: Extensive coverage links Korean airports to 26 Japanese cities, but almost all flights are operated by Korean airlines. Japanese carriers serve only three routes, all to Seoul, limiting direct access for Japanese tourists to regional Korea.
  • China Routes: The most extensive network, connecting seven Korean airports with 39 Chinese cities. Chinese airlines actively serve regional airports, offering greater potential for balanced tourism flows.
  • Taiwan Routes: While smaller in scale, these routes show a more balanced supply, with both Korean and Taiwanese airlines operating flights to regional airports. Notably, Gimhae Airport saw over 360,000 Taiwanese arrivals in 2024, outpacing arrivals from Japan and China.


Why Foreign Carriers Matter

  • Attracting foreign airlines to regional airports is a proven strategy for boosting inbound tourism.
  • It lowers barriers for foreign travelers, increases route diversity, and helps distribute tourism benefits beyond Seoul.
  • Successful examples, such as increased Taiwanese arrivals at Gimhae Airport, demonstrate the tangible impact of collaborative efforts between local governments and airlines.
  • Japan’s approach offers inspiration: Systematic incentives, joint marketing, and coordinated support have helped smaller Japanese cities attract international flights and stimulate local tourism.



For more in-depth analysis and actionable recommendations, visit our official website and explore the full report. Discover how the future of Northeast Asian air travel is being shaped today.

Yanolja Research Insights Vol.28

Labels:
Location: Seoul, South Korea

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

[Yanolja Research Insights] Vol.1 Digital Transformation and Globalization Strategy for the South Korean Tourism Industry

The South Korean tourism industry has substantial growth potential, but it still lags behind global counterparts in terms of its contribution to GDP. While tourism globally accounts for 10.3% of GDP, Korea’s tourism contribution is only 2.8%. To achieve similar growth seen in countries like Japan, Korea needs to prioritize digital transformation (DX) in its tourism sector, focusing on rapid adoption of technological innovations. Key Changes and Trends in the Tourism Industry: Automation and Technology Integration : The industry is moving towards automated, contactless services, transforming sectors like airports, hotels, and tourist centers into high-value operations. Growth of Tourism Solutions : Specialized solutions, such as cloud-based management systems, are improving operational efficiency and service quality for hotels and tour companies. Hyper-Personalization : Using big data, tourism services are increasingly tailored to individual preferences, exemplified by servic...
Post a Comment
Read more

[Yanolja Research Insights] Vol.3 Current Status of the Seoul Airbnb Market

  ✨Airbnb Market Trends in Seoul(As of April, 2023) Airbnb hotspots are centered around tourist and commercial areas. Mapo-gu had the highest number of listings and OCC, while Jongno-gu had the highest RevPAR. Airbnb rooms account for 18.7% of Seoul's lodging market in 2022. 📈Post-Pandemic Recovery Number of Bookings: 987,082 (2019) → 404,320 (2021) → 589,993 (2022) Transaction Volume: 237.3 billion KRW (2019) ➔ 78.9 billion KRW (2021; a decrease of -66.8% compared to 2019) ➔ 150.7 billion KRW (2022; an increase of +91.0% compared to the previous year) 🌍Seoul vs. New York vs. London Number of Rooms(As of December 2022): London(106,752) > New York(53,292) > Seoul(17,257) Airbnb market share in the accommodation market: London (41.5%, as of March 2023) > New York (27.4%, as of March 2023) > Seoul (18.7%, average for 2022) In Seoul, multi-unit hosts (operators managing multiple properties) dominate the market. In New York and London, single-unit hosts (operators man...
Post a Comment
Read more

[Yanolja Research Brief] Vol. 2 Inbound & Outbound Tourism S. Korea in the 2024 H1

South Korea’s Tourism in 2024 H1: A Dynamic Recovery with New Opportunities Foreign Visitors Bounce Back Strongly, But Spending Dips The number of foreign tourists visiting South Korea surged to over 7.7 million in the first half of 2024, reaching 91.2% of the pre-pandemic peak in 2019-a remarkable 73.8% increase from the same period last year. Notably, tourists from long-distance regions like the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Oceania grew significantly, with countries such as the U.S., Germany, France, and Australia showing impressive gains. However, key Asian markets like China, Japan, and Thailand saw declines, leading to an overall drop in Asian visitors compared to 2019. Despite more visitors, average spending per tourist fell sharply to around $1,000, down 18.3% from 2019. This resulted in only a modest 8.3% increase in total tourism income compared to 2023, still 25.4% below 2019 levels. South Koreans Travel Abroad More, But Spend Less Outbound travel also rebounded strongly, wi...
Post a Comment
Read more