People endured so much during the pandemic, from everyday encounters to travel. Refraining from doing anything that could lead to infection was considered a virtue. However, people became tired of the endless quarantine and began looking for hotels where they could relieve their stress and change their moods by visiting new spaces. People could enjoy themselves in a private space without contacting others. They could look at the scenery outside and refresh their minds by ordering delicious food through room service. Hotels began offering various promotions to encourage people to enjoy various leisure activities at their location instead of outdoors, and the hocance culture emerged. Hocance is a word that combines ho from the English word ¡°hotel¡± and cance from the French word ¡°vacance,¡± which means ¡°vacation.¡±

Korean writer Kim Young-ha explained on a broadcast that the reason for the hocance craze is because ¡°there are no worries about daily life at a hotel.¡± Kim added, ¡°You don¡¯t have to travel to a far-away country to avoid the thoughts and pain of everyday life.¡± It can be challenging to feel a sense of freedom from everyday life in a familiar environment, but there¡¯s no need to travel far as hotels have become a sufficient alternative to travel.

The era of the pandemic has come to an end, but people are still visiting hotels. This is because there has been an increase in the number of people from the younger generation who prioritize their own satisfaction and having a good experience. They don¡¯t hesitate to open their wallets even for something expensive if it means they can have a satisfying experience. Thanks to this, hotels costing KRW 500,000 (around USD 360) or even one million KRW (around USD 720) a night are quickly booked.