Kakao Mobility revealed various overseas mobility service data for Kakao T on the 29th, as the company transitions into a recovery phase following the pandemic.
According to statistics from the Korea Tourism Organization, more than 1 million foreign tourists have been visiting Korea each month since July, the month after the government’s official declaration of the COVID-endemic phase, while over 2 million Korean tourists have been traveling abroad every month. The demand for overseas travel is rapidly recovering to pre-COVID levels, which is also confirmed by the various overseas mobility service data provided by Kakao T.
The ‘Overseas Vehicle Dispatch Service’, which allows users to call vehicles abroad through the Kakao T app, has shown continuous growth in this post-endemic era. Among these services, Vietnam emerged as the region with the highest usage of the overseas vehicle dispatch service, with cumulative usage from Q1 to Q3 2023 showing more than seven times growth compared to the same period last year. In Japan, a relatively late allowance for visa-free entry in October last year led to a sharp increase in service calls in January 2023, surpassing the total number of calls made in 2022 within just one month.
Analysis of passenger data from Kakao T’s overseas vehicle dispatch and Guam taxis revealed that the top five countries where users most frequently utilized vehicle dispatch/reservation services were Vietnam, Japan, Guam, Thailand, and Singapore. Further analysis based on categorized destinations indicated diverse travel patterns depending on the characteristics of travel enjoyment unique to each country, which drew attention.
In Vietnam, ‘shopping’ is a prevalent activity, while in Japan, many users frequent ‘transport facilities’ like airports and train stations. For Guam, a popular vacation spot, hotels topped the list of most commonly selected destinations.
On the other hand, an analysis of Kakao T app usage by foreign visitors to Korea revealed that as various content such as music, films, and games helped promote Korean culture worldwide, the diversity of tourist attractions visited by tourists also increased. Popular filming sites for K-POP artists, such as Yongmang Land (known for its attractions) and Jumunjin Beach (famous for the BTS bus stop), as well as Jeollabuk-do Wanju-gun Awon Hanok, known for BTS magazine shoots, have been found to be not easily accessible by public transport, indicating the growing importance of foreign visitors using taxis for convenience.
In line with these trends, Kakao Mobility has recently introduced features such as overseas app integration and the inclusion of international payment methods, allowing foreign tourists to use taxis conveniently during their stay in Korea. Although the service is still in its initial stages, user analysis aims to establish a convenient transportation environment for foreign visitors to experience a variety of travel destinations.
After the addition of overseas-issued cards as a payment method on the Kakao T app, an analysis of usage data from December 7 to 20 revealed that hotels accounted for 24.9% of taxi departures by foreign users. Following were transportation facilities such as metro stations and parking lots, intended for connections to restaurants and other modes of transport. The most common destination for taxi rides was restaurants (24.8%), with hotels and transportation facilities showing similar patterns to departure points. Moreover, the percentage of shopping malls served as destination points exceeded those of departure points.
Additionally, trends in overseas travel were highlighted through an analysis of airline ticket sales data by Kakao T. From January to September of this year, the most popular overseas travel destinations revealed in ticket sales were Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka, reflecting the growing demand for travel to Japan.
As for the timing of ticket purchases, domestic flights were usually booked 13 days before departure, while international flights were purchased an average of 36 days in advance, indicating that many users plan long-term for their overseas travel.
Moreover, a nighttime travel pattern known as the ‘night goblin trip’ from Japan, characterized by departures on Friday nights and returns on Monday mornings, was identified in the airline ticket data analysis, revealing that the most frequent day for departures from Korea to Japan is Friday, while the return to Korea from Japan peaks on Mondays.
Kakao Mobility CEO Ryoo Geung-seon stated, “Throughout this year, Kakao Mobility has expanded its overseas vehicle dispatch services to enable the use of local transportation in 37 countries worldwide through Kakao T and has also been augmenting global services by integrating Chinese apps like Alipay and adding international payment methods.” He added, “In the future, we will continue to analyze various global mobility trends through the publication of mobility reports, aiming to create innovative services that facilitate convenient transportation for both domestic users visiting overseas and foreign visitors coming to Korea.”
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr