Traditionally one of the biggest annual travel periods for Asia Pacific travelers, this Lunar New Year Agoda reveals changing travel patterns emerging post-COVID. This year travelers are discovering off the beaten track destinations as well as revisiting traditional tourist hotspots. Family or group travel is the most popular traveler type and some travelers are pampering themselves and indulging in more high-end stays. There is also an upward trend in the search and bookings for Agoda Homes – non-hotel accommodation that offer more ‘home comfort’ facilities including kitchens, separate living and sleeping spaces.
With most international borders closed, this Lunar New Year domestic destinations are set to enjoy the spotlight with and places like Xi’an (China), Medan (Indonesia) and Langkawi (Malaysia) making a debut in their markets’ top eight Lunar New Year destinations waiting to be explored.
Across the region, families or group travelers are the number one traveler type, as many people plan to celebrate the Lunar New Year with loved ones. Thai and Indonesian travelers in particular are focusing more on traveling with kin and friends this year, as families or group take over couples as top traveler type this year, compared to last year’s festivities. However, couples took over group or families as the most popular Lunar New Year traveler type in Mainland China this year and continued to dominate the top spot for Japan and the Philippines. In Japan, solo travelers remained the second most popular traveler type.
Travelers treat themselves to upgrades.
Malaysian, Indonesian, and Vietnamese travelers are taking advantage of great value deals to upgrade to 4-5-star accommodation to celebrate this year, while Chinese travelers maintain their desire for luxury stays.
While hotels continue to rank higher than non-hotel accommodation which includes service apartments, unique homes, villas and resorts, non-hotel accommodation options have become more popular for travelers from Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam travelers.
“Just like the mythical Ox of the Chinese zodiac, the Asian traveler is proving their resilience and strength this Lunar New Year through their determination to get away and make the most of domestic travel opportunities. In a change from non-COVID times, our data shows us that beach and countryside spots are more popular than capital city breaks and high energy destinations. People want to reward their hard work and resilience with upgraded stays in top class areas, be it beach destinations, such as Phu Quoc (Vietnam) or Boracay Island (the Philippines), scenic mountains like Khao Yai (Thailand) and Chiayi (Taiwan), or historic cultural destinations like Xi’an (Mainland China),” said Timothy Hughes, Vice President Corporate Development.
Market Specific Data
Mainland China
- Shanghai is the most popular city among Chinese travelers for Lunar New Year.
- This year’s list welcomes three new entries with cultural and historical cities Xi’an, Hangzhou and Suzhou making a debut at #3, #6, and #8 respectively knocking Zhuhai, Foshan, and Chengdu out of the top 8 list.
- This year, Chinese couples replaced group travelers and families as top traveler type.
- 4-5-star accommodations are the top choice as trend for luxurious accommodation over the Lunar New Year continues in China.
Data is based on Agoda’s search data, collected on 10 January 2021, with comparable check-in dates as first day of LNY for each respective year – 25 January 2020 and 12 February 2021.
Source: Agoda
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