Incheon Airport passenger traffic to recover during Chuseok holiday

Tourism during South Korea’s Thanksgiving holiday of Chuseok is expected to rebound to pre-COVID-19 levels, industry sources said Sunday. According to Incheon Airport, the number of passengers who will be using the country's main gateway between Sept. 27 and Oct. 3 is expected to reach 1.2m, an average of about 170,000 each day. The number has also recovered to 96.6% of the corresponding figure in 2019. The figure is also up by 186.7% compared to the previous year’s figure, it added. The country's leading travel agency Hana Tour said that the number of people who booked tickets for flights that leave here increased by 43% compared to 2019. In comparison with 2022, when travel restrictions and concerns over COVID-19 still existed, it was an increase of 1,535%, the agency added. The latest increase came as the government last month decided to designate Oct. 2 as a one-off temporary holiday, which bridged the three-day Chuseok holiday and the country’s National Foundation Day on Oct. 3. Some people have taken a few more days off to extend the Chuseok holiday to 12 days for their overseas trip. By destination, more than a majority of travelers have planned their trips to countries in Southeast Asia and Japan, according to local travel agencies.<br/>