Trip.com revealed that there have been 279% more orders from outside of China during the first five days of the Lunar New Year 2024 break than there were during the same time last year. Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, and South Korea are all seeing this Lunar New Year boom. This trend shows a rising interest in experiencing different cultures and holidays overseas.
Younger generations ‘escaping’ LNY, family vacations are expanding.
While many celebrate Spring Festival at home, the younger generations are doing the reverse.
Millennials and Gen Z are changing Lunar New Year by travelling instead of celebrating. They make up 38.5% of holiday bookings and explore bustling destinations like Bangkok, Tokyo, and Singapore alone. You’ll find them travelling with pals to Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay and surprise places like the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum.
Despite this surge in independent travel, many Lunar New Year festivities center on the family. Customized tours and local guides for private excursions are becoming more popular, as 47% of Chinese Spring Festival travellers take family vacations. Over the holidays, Thailand, Malaysia, and the UAE had the most local guide reservations.
Travelers choose theme parks and unusual experiences.
The number of short-haul flights increased by 199% over the previous year, demonstrating a preference for travels under four hours.
These travellers sought unique holiday experiences, not simply speedy travel. Unique excursions and activities were the most popular, from skiing to exotic cruises to safari parks. On Trip.com’s Trip Moments, Shenzhen’s Safari Park and Guangzhou Bonski, an indoor ski resort, were top attractions.
Many tourists seek thrills at exhilarating theme parks. Tokyo and Hong Kong Disneyland parks were top attractions for Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam visitors. In contrast, Universal Studios Japan and Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo – The Making of Harry Potter became popular “theme park” destinations in Japan, alongside Disneyland. Other popular theme parks were LEGOLAND Malaysia and Window of the World in Shenzhen.
Top Lunar New Year 2024 ‘escapes’ abroad
Over the Lunar New Year, Malaysia and Thailand were the top destinations for jetsetters. Compared to last year’s festivities, overseas reservations rose 202% and 195%. In Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, intra-Asia travel was popular, with China and Japan leading.
Singapore visitors visit Bangkok, Johor Bahru, and Bali. Singaporeans had 2.5-day vacations on average, leaving on 9 February, the eve of the Lunar New Year 2024, and returning on 12 February, the nation’s official holiday.
With reduced visa rules, China recorded an extraordinary threefold increase in international reservations compared to the previous year. Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia, which had visa-free agreements, were Chinese tourists’ top destinations with Japan.
South Koreans preferred Japan’s Osaka, Tokyo, and Fukuoka for vacations. Vietnam’s peaceful beach city of Da Nang became a popular alternative to Japan for South Korean tourists.
As the Spring Festival winds down, we consider its many travel effects. Lunar New Year 2024 brings us together to celebrate regeneration, prosperity, and joy, whether alone, with friends, or with family.