Yanolja Research

Global Tourism City Attractiveness Index 2025: Uncover What Makes Top Destinations Irresistible The Rise of Experience-Driven Travel Tourism trends have shifted dramatically: travelers today seek immersive, emotional journeys rather than just infrastructure and visitor volume. Cities must now win both the minds and hearts of visitors, with authentic experiences and lasting memories leading the way. How Attractiveness Is Measured The Attractiveness Index combines two critical dimensions: Reputation (how visible and talked-about a city is) and Attractiveness (how positively travelers view and feel about their experience). Four main pillars shape a city’s allure: Urban Aesthetics & Natural Scenery Culture & History Experiential Tourism Contents (food, shopping, activities, events) Hospitality (friendliness of locals and service providers). Key Learning From 2025 Rankings Japanese cities, especially Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, dominated this year’s top ranks thanks to their blend of...

Navigating a Shifting Landscape: A Closer Look at Korea's Declining Golf Industry The golf industry in Korea is at a curious crossroads. Despite a steady increase in the number of golf courses, the number of people playing golf has been on a downward trend. We've put together a quick overview of the key findings from our analysis, revealing a complex interplay of demographic and macroeconomic forces. Data from the past two years clearly indicates that domestic golf demand has fallen. This trend began after the pandemic, with the number of golf course users in Korea decreasing by 0.6% in 2024. This widening gap between supply and demand presents a significant challenge for the industry. Our findings reveal two primary drivers for this downturn: One of the major reasons for this decline is demographic shifts . We've found that the key customer base is the 40s and 50s age group. Baby Boomers, who once made up a significant portion of the total population and were a major consu...

 🌇 What Makes a City Memorable for Tourists? 🏙 Which City Wins in Tourism Products Across Northeast Asia? The key to competitive tourism products: ‘city-ness’ Yanolja Research Insights Vol.27 dives into over 8,000 TripAdvisor-listed tourism products across Northeast Asian cities to discover what makes a destination truly stand out. The answer? The unique identity of a city — its “city-ness” — plays a powerful role in shaping tourist perceptions and competitiveness. 📊 Consumer Responses to Tourism Products Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei show the strongest tourist engagement : Seoul : Highest share of reviewed products (53.34%) and leads in both average and maximum review counts. Tokyo : Large product base (1,262 products) with strong engagement (50.74%). Taipei : Smaller product volume but high review share (48.26%). Key takeaway: Review volume reflects not just popularity but also tourists’ motivation to share positive experiences. 🎯 Content Strategies and Differentiat...