<Anchor> This is a
friendly economic time. Today (15th), I will be with reporter Kim Hye-min. It is said that more and more people are planning to travel abroad these days.
<Reporter>
Today is Friday before the weekend, so let's talk a little bit about overseas travel. Not long ago, I went to a large bookstore, and an advertisement called 'Go for a vaccine, go on an overseas trip' caught my eye.
In fact, more than 60% of the people who have completed the second dose of the vaccine are already over 60%. As the government is reviewing plans to switch the quarantine system to 'with Corona', the number of people who are turning their attention to overseas travel that they have endured has increased recently.
In addition, more and more countries are able to enter the country without self-quarantine as long as they prove that they have been vaccinated.
I contacted a large travel agency directly, and they say that popular destinations are divided according to whether or not self-quarantine is required.
<Anchor>
So, where are the most popular travel destinations now?
<Reporter>
First of all, many of Europe are already able to enter without self-quarantine. If you have a PCR-negative certificate, you do not need to self-isolate.
There are also countries that are popular with Koreans for travel. Also, honeymooners are starting to go abroad, not on Jeju Island.
Areas such as the Maldives, Cancun, Hawaii and Guam are exempt from self-quarantine. In particular, the Maldives is considered as an optimal travel destination for social distancing, as most of the itinerary stays within resorts.
On the other hand, there are still many countries that require self-quarantine or are not allowed to enter the country for tourism purposes.
Southeast Asian countries, which accounted for 80% of Korea's overseas travel, and China and Japan are still difficult to enter freely. So there are a lot of inquiries from travel agencies, but it is said that they do not lead to reservations.
<Anchor>
At this point in time, self-isolation is becoming a very important factor to consider. But what if there is a popular place even when you have to self-quarantine?
<Reporter>
Saipan has recently undergone self-quarantine again, but it is still popular. This is because Korea has been upgraded to Level 4 of social distancing, but by the end of this year, reservations for 8,000 people are full.
Do you remember when we signed a travel bubble with Korea a few months ago? So, Koreans traveling to Saipan can receive various benefits. First of all, the PCR test is free. They also give you cash vouchers that you can use for sightseeing.
Most travel agencies schedule Saipan itinerary for 7 nights and 8 days, of which 5 days are self-quarantine. All are free.
After the Saipan reservations have been full for months, Guam is rapidly emerging as an alternative destination. A large travel agency has had over 1,000 bookings in the last two weeks.
<Anchor>
Looking at the current situation, if there are no bigger variables related to the corona virus, I think I will travel abroad much more often than before.
<Reporter>
First of all, it seems that more and more countries are exempt from self-isolation. Recently, the Korean government signed a travel bubble with Singapore following Saipan.
Saipan is only available for group tours, but it seems that there will be a lot of demand for travel here as you can also do individual tours.
There are also predictions that Thailand and Vietnam will open their doors to overseas travelers from the end of this year. However, it seems that the overseas travel trend will not be the same as it used to be.
For the time being, I prefer group tours rather than individual tours. It is expected that you will mainly find quiet and relaxing places rather than crowded places.
It is said that travel agencies are also planning programs suitable for this, so let's hear it for yourself.
[Jo Il-sang/Hana Tour PR Team Leader: The number of local events is reduced to a small scale, and the itinerary is structured in such a way that visitors can enjoy various local experiences instead of avoiding touristic destinations.]
If you are planning an overseas trip, local quarantine guidelines are still changing frequently, so we recommend checking this thoroughly before going.