Like young people everywhere, Australian teens have been bitten by the K-bug.
The kids are driving the surge in interest in South Korea, begging their parents to take them to the land of everything K-wave.
Data from the Korea Tourism Organisation reveals travel from Australia to South Korea jumped 23% last year, and travel insurer PassportCard Australia has seen a 47% jump in travel-insurance sales to the destination over the past six months.
The cultural pull is just as strong for families. Aussies whose kids have watched K-Pop global hit film Demon Hunters say they are now being nagged to visit South Korea.
Children are singing or dancing to K-Pop, including hit songs Golden and Soda Pop and teens are talking about Korean food and culture.
“It’s been incredible to see that level of excitement from the next cohort of travellers,” said Hyeongjoon Kim, director, Korea Tourism Organisation Sydney Office.
When it comes to Gen Z and Millennial Australians, 3 in 5 say films and TV shows like K-Pop Demon Hunters and K-Dramas inspire their travel choices.
One in three Gen Z travellers say K-Beauty and fashion trends motivate their desire to visit, and nearly one in two of 18–34-year-olds admit viral content and trending destinations shape where they go.
“We’re seeing a clear generational shift where online content drives offline travel. For many younger travellers, inspiration comes from culture first and Korea’s global influence, whether it's via videos on TikTok, or K-Pop and movies, the K-wave is setting the pace,” said Peter Klemt, CEO of PassportCard Australia.