Yanolja Research Releases Comparative Analysis of Tour Products Across Eight Major Northeast Asian Cities

Yanolja Research (President: SooCheong Jang) has released a new report titled “Comparative Analysis of Tour Products in Major Northeast Asian Cities: A Quantitative Study Based on TripAdvisor Data”, evaluating the competitiveness of tour offerings across eight key cities in four countries—Seoul and Busan (South Korea), Tokyo and Osaka (Japan), Beijing and Shanghai (China), Taipei and Kaohsiung (Taiwan). The analysis draws from global travel platform TripAdvisor, which serves as a real-time reflection of Western tourist perceptions and responses, offering valuable insights into the global digital tourism market.

Tokyo and Beijing Lead in Product Volume, but Busan Excels in Quality and Consistency

According to the report, Tokyo (2,487 products) and Beijing (2,270) boast the highest number of tour products. Seoul ranks mid-tier with 898, while Busan has the fewest at 233. Nevertheless, Busan outperformed all cities in both average rating (4.90 out of 5) and rating consistency (standard deviation of 0.25), indicating exceptional quality in visitor experience.

“Despite the limited number of products, Busan delivers immersive content that blends natural landscapes, cityscapes, and local culture—such as Gamcheon Culture Village and Jagalchi Market—offering a deeply localized experience,” said Yejin Ahn, Senior Researcher at Yanolja Research. “This curated, high-quality product lineup fosters stronger consumer trust and more consistent satisfaction.”

Seoul’s Strength Lies in Suburban Tours—DMZ and Nami Island Draw Strong Response
Seoul, while offering fewer products than Tokyo or Beijing, demonstrates a notable edge in specific themes. Suburban tour products such as those to the DMZ and Nami Island garnered the highest average number of reviews (194.9 per product) among all city-theme combinations. This far exceeds Tokyo’s suburban offerings (e.g., Mount Fuji tours), which averaged around 50.8 reviews.

In particular, DMZ tours stand out, combining historical and political narratives with guided experiences. These tours average nearly 1,000 reviews per product, an exceptionally high figure for a single product category.

“Seoul’s suburban tours exemplify a hub-and-spoke strategy, using the capital city as a central base and surrounding areas like northern Gyeonggi Province and Nami Island as spokes,” explained Deachul Seo, Senior Researcher at Yanolja Research. “Despite longer travel times, tourists respond strongly to meaningful experiences rooted in historical context or scenic value—underscoring a shift from convenience to differentiated, memory-rich content.”

Higher Prices, Higher Satisfaction—Tourists Seek Value in Premium Experiences
The study also compared consumer satisfaction across price ranges. By classifying the top 30% of products as "premium" and the bottom 30% as "economy," the report found that premium products generally earned higher ratings in all cities except Kaohsiung. This reinforces the importance of unique experiences and high-quality service in driving satisfaction.

Major cities like Tokyo, Beijing, and Seoul maintained ratings above 4.8 even for products priced over $900. For example, Tokyo’s Mount Fuji helicopter tour, priced at $3,519, received a perfect 5.0 rating. Similarly, Seoul’s nationwide gourmet tours—which include stops in Jeju, Gyeongju, Busan, and the DMZ—averaged $1,051 (with some reaching $3,800) and earned an average satisfaction score of 4.87.

“This analysis shows that premium experiences go beyond high price tags—they offer compelling reasons for tourists to spend,” said Suckwon Hong, Principal Researcher at Yanolja Research. “Elements like immersive storytelling, well-curated itineraries, and consistent service delivery determine the success of high-value offerings.”

For Seoul, the Challenge is No Longer Quantity, But Quality
Although Seoul drew high attention and boasted the highest number of reviews per product, its overall average rating (4.78) fell short compared to Tokyo (4.85) and Beijing (4.91). This suggests room for improvement in quality control and experience design, rather than mere product expansion.

“Seoul continues to attract strong global interest, but the focus must now shift from quantity to the quality of memories we create,” stated SooCheong Jang, President of Yanolja Research. “Experience design that reflects the city’s historical and cultural identity—including surrounding areas—will be key to enhancing satisfaction, repeat visitation, and global brand loyalty.”