{"id":2202096,"date":"2023-08-28T17:03:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T08:03:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2202096"},"modified":"2023-08-29T17:02:05","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T08:02:05","slug":"intense-work-intense-play-how-koreans-work-culture-impacts-their-travel-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/08\/intense-work-intense-play-how-koreans-work-culture-impacts-their-travel-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Intense work, intense play: How Koreans\u2019 work culture impacts their travel plans"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea\u2019s reopened international flight sector has seen a <\/span>surge<\/span><\/a> in citizens craving overseas vacations. Major Korean tour agencies quickly <\/span>sold out<\/span><\/a> their Europe-bound package products for September in anticipation of the Chuseok holiday. But these packages offer something unexpected: jam-packed itineraries that allocate just about a day for each city or country, reflecting South Korea\u2019s intense work culture.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy family and I are spending just one day in London. The next day, we head directly to France, spending two days in Paris,\u201d Kim So-yeon, a 24-year-old recent graduate, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i>, describing her upcoming package tour to Western Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThen we\u2019re off to Belfort in France, followed by Interlaken in Switzerland. Italy is the main highlight of our trip, with over four days planned across cities like Milan, Venice, Sorrento, Rome, Naples, Pompeii and others.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Such <\/span>Western Europe-focused group tours<\/span><\/a> are popular in the summer. They typically span four countries in a tight eight-night, 10-day window, visiting more than 10 cities.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI need to boost my stamina before this August trip. Otherwise, I might struggle to keep up with the rest of my group by day three,\u201d Kim added, expressing her excitement and concern for the trip\u2019s grueling schedule.<\/span><\/p>\n Her concern about the pace isn\u2019t unfounded. A packed itinerary means constant movement and transitioning between cities, which can be physically demanding.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI was so drained that I experienced sleep paralysis at the hotel,\u201d Kim Jung-hyun, a 28-year-old woman, told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> about her past 10-day trip to Spain and Portugal. \u201cNow, I honestly can\u2019t recall most of the cities I visited, let alone the details our tour guide provided.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Kim Jung-hyun\u2019s experience suggests a broader issue: Korean travel packages with such dense schedules may make travelers feel worn out, countering the purpose of a vacation \u2014 rest and relaxation.<\/span><\/p>\n Given that South Korea has a reputation for its grueling work culture \u2014 with its citizens logging an average of <\/span>1,915 hours annually<\/span><\/a>, 199 hours more than the average among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries \u2014 the need for rest is even more pronounced for Koreans.<\/span><\/p>\n However, South Korea\u2019s overwork culture is likely the catalyst for these ambitious tour itineraries. The nation\u2019s intense work ethic often limits the duration of breaks, possibly influencing the structure of these vacations.<\/span><\/p>\n