Korean women travel abroad more often than women from Group.
The survey, which covered 3,500 women across seven regions including Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Germany, Thailand, and Singapore, was released to coincide with International Women's Day on March 8. Among respondents who had traveled abroad at least once in 2025, Korean women recorded the highest travel frequency of any group.
{img}Japan was by far the most popular destination. Korean visitors to Japan reached 9.459 million in 2025, surpassing 9 million for the first time, with Osaka and Fukuoka ranking as the top cities. China was the fastest-growing market. Agoda's analysis of booking data ranked Shanghai as the fastest-growing overseas destination among Korean travelers, climbing 17 positions year-over-year, driven by China's visa-free policy for Koreans and short two-hour flight times that make it an easy weekend trip.
Solo travel is also growing fast, particularly among younger women. Women aged 25 to 34 showed the largest increase in independent travel and represented the highest proportion of female travelers from Korea. Globally, the same age group led solo travel trends across all countries in the survey, though Korea stood out in terms of overall frequency.
At the other end of the age spectrum, older women are increasingly heading to Europe. Middle-aged and older women drove growth in European destinations, with approximately 20 percent of solo female travelers to Italy and France aged 50 or older.
Korean women also tend to take charge when it comes to family travel. The survey found they frequently led planning for trips with children or parents and were willing to spend more for family-friendly features, including guaranteed family seating on flights, all-inclusive packages, and family suites or connecting rooms.
Safety remained the top concern when choosing where to go. Feeling secure upon late-night arrivals and being comfortable navigating a city alone were cited as key factors in destination selection.
{img}The numbers reflect a broader shift that has been building for years. In 2024, Korean tourists spent a total of $14.32 billion abroad, averaging about $1,100 per trip, and surveys consistently show strong appetite for more. The findings put a specific face on who is driving that demand: women in their 20s and 30s, traveling independently, and going more often than anyone else.