The number of people visiting their hometowns during the Lunar New Year holiday this year is expected to drop by almost 33 percent compared to last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Korea Transport Institute's survey of nine-thousand-398 households on Wednesday, some 21-point-92 million people are expected to travel during the four-day holiday starting February 11.

With a daily average of four-point-38 million travelers, an average of more than four million vehicles are expected to hit the expressways each day, some 32-point-six percent lower than in last year's Lunar New Year holiday.

Sixty percent of respondents cited concerns about COVID-19 in deciding whether to visit or for not yet deciding.

Asked about method of travel, 93-point-five percent of respondents said they would use personal vehicles, up seven-point-three percentage points from the average logged over the past five Lunar New Year holidays.

The largest ratio of 26-point-seven percent said they planned to depart the morning of February 11, while 33-point-seven percent said they will return home on the afternoon of February 13.