The sky routes, closed due to the novel coronavirus, are reopening. With high COVID-19 vaccination rates, international flights are resuming one after another, especially to travel bubble destinations.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on the 4th, the first dose vaccination rate for COVID-19 in Korea was 77.3% as of midnight on the 3rd, and the completed vaccination rate was 52.5%. This means one out of every two people can travel to a travel bubble destination. The airline industry is gradually increasing international routes. Travel agencies are quickly releasing travel products.

A representative travel bubble route is Incheon-Saipan. Demand for package tours to Saipan during the Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving) holiday increased for all three airlines: Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, and T'way Air. According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, the number of Korean tourists who booked trips to Saipan exceeded 4,000 as of the end of last month. The Incheon-Saipan flight operated by Asiana Airlines on the 18th of last month had an 85% load factor.

More than 95% of this demand is for package tours. In July and August, the demand for travel bubble tourists was less than 10 people per flight. An Asiana Airlines official said, "This is the largest scale since Korea and Saipan implemented the travel bubble system. We expect over 1,000 bookings by the end of the year."

The booking demand to travel to Saipan via Jeju Airport after Chuseok also reached 1,200 people. Jeju Air also operates the Incheon-Saipan route once a week. T'way Air reported that the booking rate for this route exceeded 80% this month and 90% next month.

From next month, more destinations will become accessible. Asiana Airlines plans to operate the Incheon-Guam route twice a week as early as next month. It has already received permission from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport for this route last month and only needs final approval from the quarantine authorities. Asiana Airlines had suspended the Incheon-Guam route due to declining profitability after the emergence of low-cost carriers (LCCs). If the plan proceeds, it will be the first flight in 18 years.

Korean Air has been operating the Incheon-Guam route once a week on an irregular basis since August. Next month, it plans to operate the Incheon-Hanoi route and also the Incheon-Hawaii route. Many LCCs also plan to resume international flights, focusing on Guam and Southeast Asia.

With the reopening of sky routes, travel agencies are also moving quickly. Lotte Tour Development launched its first overseas travel package product in a year and a half at the end of last month. Travelers who booked the package enjoyed a trip to Switzerland, minimizing indoor sightseeing and focusing mostly on outdoor attractions. Mode Tour also sent about 60 people who applied for package tours during the Chuseok holiday to Guam. This was their first trip in a year and a half.

Hana Tour returned to normal working hours starting on the 1st. Employees who were on unpaid leave have returned to their posts, and those who were working remotely are now coming into the office. Hana Tour was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with sales dropping by more than 90% in a year. Since April last year, about 1,700 employees, excluding essential personnel, have been on paid or unpaid leave. A travel agency official said, "With 'With Corona' approaching, the pent-up travel demand will be a godsend for the near-dead travel industry. For now, demand will be higher for Guam and Saipan than for Southeast Asia, and for Europe than for the US."