The pearl island of Phu Quoc and the coastal city of Nha Trang are among the most popular international destinations for Korean tourists, according to a survey released on July 15 by Rankify Korea.

Charming Korean travelers in Vietnamese ao dai and conical hat. Photo: VNAT

As a result, Phu Quoc is the most popular destination among Korean female tourists, according to the analysis of preferences by gender and age for each location. Up to 67% of female travelers choose Pearl Island for their next vacation.

Meanwhile, the choice of Nha Trang is 64% for women and 36% for men. Tourists aged 30-39 years love Nha Trang and Phu Quoc equally.

The result was released based on a big data analysis program to evaluate the search volume of Google Trend Index and Naver in the first week of July and compare it with the last week of June.

In the first week of July, Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam's southern province of Kien Giang topped the list with 12,855 points, an increase of 2,962 points on the last week of June. Nha Trang was second with 10,157 points, followed by Tokyo, Japan with 3,796 points.

Located in the southern Vietnam, Phu Quoc Island is one of the most beautiful coastal towns in the country. Photo: Phan Phung

In addition, Hanoi is also among the top 15 most popular cities for Korean tourists, after Barcelona (Spain) and Tokyo (Japan) among others.

Earlier, Kyowon Tour Travel Easy's travel trend analysis for the third quarter of 2024 showed that Vietnam has overtaken Japan to top the list of favourable foreign destinations for Korean tourists.

For the third quarter of 2024, Vietnam's booking rate reached 13.7% for the first time, higher than Japan's 13.2%.

The analysis also showed that short-haul destinations accounted for 80% of all bookings during the peak summer travel season in 2024, especially during the Chuseok (Mid-Autumn) holiday, the biggest holiday of the year for Koreans, which is scheduled from September 14 to 22 this year.

Nha Trang's main attraction is a sandy beach overlooking a stunning bay dotted with 19 islands and islets. Photo: Thao Huynh

Japan was the destination of choice for 17% of Korean holidaymakers, China for 14.7%, and Vietnam for 14.4%.

Explaining the Vietnamese phenomenon, Yong Sung Ok, Regional Director - Southeast Asia of Hanatour, one of Korea's leading travel companies, said that Vietnam has become a popular destination for Korean tourists in recent years thanks to its geographical proximity and attractive travel experiences.

"There are many flights with affordable fares to famous tourist attractions in Vietnam," he told AsiaA News.

Meanwhile, according to the Korea Herald, “Nha Trang is now becoming a long-term destination for Korean youth thanks to its attractive cultural destinations for day-time exploring and vibrant entertainment activities at night,” it reported.