International tourism has been bustling since the beginning of the year, Vietnam is among the top with strong growth

The number of international travel bookings from several Asian countries increased sharply by 279% compared to the same period last year during the Lunar New Year. Vietnam was among the top destinations with strong growth.

During the Lunar New Year, tourists tend to visit famous heritage, spirituality and culture sites in Vietnam's localities. Photo: Ngoc Thuy

According to a new report from Trip.com, the world's leading online travel agency, outbound travel from some Asian countries surged by 279% year-on-year during the first five days of the Lunar New Year holiday. This surge is occurring in many countries celebrating the Lunar New Year, such as Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China and South Korea. This trend clearly demonstrates the demand for overseas travel to celebrate the Lunar New Year and to absorb different diverse cultures of Asian people. In the past, the Lunar New Year was a time for families to reunite, however, many young people are now choosing to do the exact opposite - "escape" the Lunar New Year. Nowadays, with a desire to travel and explore, young people of the Gen Y generation (those born from 1980 to 2000) and Gen Z (those born from 1997 to 2012) are tending to "escape" traditional holidays, typically Lunar New Year, to travel abroad.

Crowds of tourists stroll along Yaowarat Road, Bangkok (Thailand) during Lunar New Year. Photo: Tommy Walker/Al Jazeera

Young people from the Gen Y and Gen Z generations account for 38.5% of all overseas bookings and often choose to travel alone to vibrant cities such as Bangkok (Thailand), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore during the Lunar New Year holiday. In addition, they also tend to visit interesting attractions with friends such as Gardens by the Bay (Singapore), Louvre Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)... However, in the context of the increasingly popular trend of traveling alone, family is still the focus of Lunar New Year for many people. In China, family trips also increased sharply, accounting for 47% of all visitors. In addition, Thailand, Malaysia and the UAE (United Arab Emirates) have the most bookings for tour guides during the Lunar New Year. During the recent Lunar New Year, the trend of traveling close to home with short flights increased by an impressive 199% compared to last year, showing that travelers increasingly prefer flights that last only about 4 hours or less. In addition, many travelers also choose to participate in interesting and different experiences during this holiday such as skiing, visiting wildlife parks or exploring unique tourist attractions. Amusement parks are also destinations that many tourists choose to visit during this holiday. Disneyland Park in Hong Kong (China) and Tokyo (Japan) has attracted the attention of many tourists from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

Hong Kong Disneyland is the most popular amusement park in Asia during Lunar New Year 2024. Photo: Trip.com

During the Lunar New Year travel wave, Southeast Asian countries are the top “hot” destinations, especially Malaysia and Thailand, with the number of travel bookings increasing by 202% and 195% respectively compared to the same period last year. Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are the most popular choices for Chinese and Japanese tourists. In addition, Singaporean tourists prefer “close to home” destinations such as Bangkok (Thailand), Johor Bahru (Malaysia) or the peaceful coast of Bali (Indonesia) with a short travel time of only about 2.5 days during the holiday.

Chinese tourists take photos at Wat Arun, one of the most famous Buddhist temples in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo: Xinhua

Meanwhile, the Chinese tourism market also recorded a three-fold increase in outbound travel bookings compared to last year. In the context of relaxed visa requirements, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia - countries that have bilateral visa exemption policies with China. Along with that, Japan, a long-time favorite destination for Chinese tourists, is still the top priority. For Korean tourists, Japan is the most attractive destination, especially in big cities such as Osaka, Tokyo and Fukuoka. In addition, the peaceful coastal city of Da Nang is also the top choice of many Korean tourists.