Walking trips becoming popular among young people

Tourists walk along the Jeju Olle Trail, a walking path on Jeju Island. / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

By Jun Ji-hye

Hiking and walking trips offering a chance to marvel at breathtaking scenery have become more popular over the past year, especially among people in their 20s and 30s, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) Friday.

Walking trips refer to visits to regions famous for hiking and walking paths that offer an understanding of the local history and culture in addition to superb natural landscapes.

In a survey conducted by the organization, 37 percent of respondents said they had gone on a hike or walk between December 2018 and November 2019, up 6.1 percentage points from a year earlier.

While the number of walkers and hikers rose in every age group, the survey showed a marked increase in the number of young walkers ― the trips of people in their 20s and 30s increased 9.7 percentage points and 12.1 percentage points, respectively.

Those surveyed said they appreciated the scenery while strolling, and had a chance to clear their heads from worries during walking trips.

The KTO carries out the survey on walking trips every year to analyze trends and develop more attractive walking courses across the country.

The latest survey targeted 4,000 people between the ages of 15 and 79.

Walkers who stayed overnight at their destinations increased to 57.2 percent from 33.5 percent, with their travel periods at 1.9 days on average, up 0.5 days from a year earlier.

The longer travel period led to an increase in expenditures per person during a trip, to 102,631 won ($83) from 81,796 won.

The Jeju Olle Trail, a walking path on Jeju Island, was the most popular walking path for the second year in a row, attracting 15.9 percent of tourists, followed by 9.6 percent for Haeparang Trail.

Haeparang Trail is the country's longest trail along the East Sea, stretching 770 kilometers from Busan to Gangwon Province.

Haeparang Trail alongside the East Sea / Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization

Jirisan Dullegil, a 300-kilometer trail that goes around Mount Jiri, ranked third with 8 percent, followed by 5.9 percent visiting the stone wall path of Deoksu Palace in Seoul.

While most tourists preferred to go hiking or on walks with their families (50.8 percent) or friends (33 percent), the number of people who traveled alone increased to 17.7 percent from 5 percent.

The respondents were mostly satisfied with their walking trips, but some of them asked tourism authorities to offer more accurate information about the walking paths and make the paths safer, according to the KTO.

To help people choose better walking opportunities, the KTO, along with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, recommends several hiking and walking paths across the country every month.

The KTO said 82.9 percent of respondents said the government's recommendations were helpful in choosing their destinations, with 32.6 percent having actually visited areas recommended by the organization.

“We will continue our efforts to offer more accurate information and improve safety of the walking paths to improve tourist satisfaction,” said Jeong Yong-moon who heads the tourism and leisure department at the KTO. “We will also reflect various needs of the walkers in developing better walking paths and push for more active marketing activities.”