A study shows that temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius are reshaping summer mobility in South Korea, driving people away from outdoor destinations and toward air-conditioned indoor facilities.TMAP Mobility analyzed destination search data from late July to early August, compared with the same period last year. Searches in the shopping category rose 5.2 percent, led by hypermarkets, up 26.2 percent, and department stores, up 4.5 percent. Searches for indoor cultural venues also surged, with movie theaters up 52.1 percent, science museums 42.7 percent and performance venues 39.2 percent.By contrast, searches in the travel and leisure category fell 16.5 percent. Searches for water and marine sports facilities plunged 52.5 percent, while those for observatories and waterfalls and valleys dropped 50.4 percent and 47.9 percent, respectively.Searches for destinations outside the Seoul metropolitan area fell 9.2 percent, compared with a 0.8 percent decline within the metropolitan area, reflecting reduced long-distance travel and outdoor tourism amid the extreme heat.
don@heraldcorp.com
