This Lunar New Year, many South Koreans are skipping traditional ancestral rites at home and choosing to travel to Japan instead. Flight searches show Japan accounts for 51.6% of all holiday travel queries from South Korea. Popular cities include Fukuoka at 23.3%, Osaka at 23.2%, and Tokyo at 13.7%. Domestic trips have fallen sharply, with Jeju the only local place in the top 10, holding 11.6% of searches. The short official holiday from February 16 to 18 forces travelers to pick between family rituals or a vacation abroad. "Flight search volume for the early part of the year rose 4.12% compared with an already high baseline last year," said Jessica Min from Skyscanner. Multigenerational travel, where grandparents, parents, and children travel together, is now popular, replacing some traditional customs. A key reason is the weak Japanese yen, which makes dining and shopping cheaper in cities like Osaka and Fukuoka. Booking.com data shows these cities lead accommodation searches again, with Fukuoka growing by 22%. China is also drawing visitors due to eased visa rules and more flights, with Shanghai bookings up 270%. Sapporo in Japan joined the top 10 for the first time, helped by winter festivals and nature attractions. Trip durations are longer, with 65% booking four or more days. Demand for long-haul and first-class flights has surged, up 50% and 83% respectively. Last year, 1.34 million South Koreans traveled abroad during the Lunar New Year holiday, a record period for Incheon Airport. Incheon added flights and seats to meet demand. The trend is expected to grow, with outbound travel projected to hit a new high in 2026. Luxury bookings are also rising globally, with five-star hotels up 59% during the holidays. South Korea’s inbound travel also surged 88%, with new source countries like Poland and Canada joining China and Japan. Travel experts note that South Koreans now seek diverse and personalized travel experiences beyond just sightseeing. "Korean travellers are maintaining a stable preference for familiar short-haul destinations while showing an increasingly open attitude towards new travel styles that prioritise relaxation and seasonal experiences," said Laura Houldsworth of Booking.com.