Walking tour catches on among Koreans
People stroll along the Yangjae Stream that flows through the southern part of Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap
“Walking tours” are gaining popularity among South Koreans, especially those in their 20s and 30s, as an alternative to expensive, cumbersome forms of travel, according to government data.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization announced earlier this week the results of a survey about Koreans touring natural, historical and cultural attractions on foot
It was conducted on 4,000 people aged between 15 and 79 nationwide from December 2018 to November 2019.
The survey showed 37 percent of respondents went for walks during the period, up 6.1 percentage points from a year earlier. They went on an average of 4.2 trips.
The increase was especially high among those in their 20s (9.7 percentage points) and 30s (12.1).
While most people walked with family members (50.8 percent) and friends (33 percent), those traveling alone sharply increased to 17.7 percent from 5 percent the previous year.
As to the attraction of walking trips, they cited the discovery of beauty, relaxation, health, the clearing of thoughts and an appreciation of nature.
The most popular destination was the Jeju Olle Trail, with 15.9 percent picking the long-distance route on the southern resort island as the site they visited most often.
This was followed by Haeparang Trail along the eastern coast (9.7 percent), Mount Jiri in the south (8 percent) and Deoksu Palace in central Seoul (5.9 percent). (Yonhap)