Tourists living in Asia are increasingly using public holidays to take short trips within the Asia Pacific region, according to new data from digital travel platform Agoda. “Asia’s diverse and regular stream of public holidays is proving to be a boost to the Asia Pacific (APAC) travel industry as Asian tourists look to maximize their leisure time,” says Agoda.
The company reported an 80% month-on-month rise in accommodation searches from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore ahead of the Hari Raya long weekend. Popular destinations included Japan, Thailand, China, South Korea, and Taiwan.
A similar trend was observed during Thailand’s Songkran long weekend, with top searched locations being Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai, and Seoul. During Vietnam’s recent long weekend, which included Liberation Day and Labor Day, Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo, and Seoul were the most searched destinations.
The data suggests rising demand for short regional trips among Asian travelers during public holiday periods.
“The opportunity for hotels and airlines to secure bookings and incentivize travelers to extend their trips and add ancillary items to boost revenue over long weekends has never been greater,” said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda.
“Hotels should ensure they are using the right data to target the hottest consumers from across the Asia Pacific region and ensure that their service offerings are tailored to their regional tastes. For example, catering for visitors with large families by ensuring they are able to access larger and joined rooms for family travel.”
Hotels can tap into this trend by tailoring packages for long weekends and short getaways. Recommended approaches include:
- Focus on Content Marketing: Publish blog posts or guides about “Top Things to Do in [Your City] Over the Long Weekend.” Highlight local events, hidden gems, and places that are within easy reach. Use SEO best practices to ensure content ranks for relevant long weekend searches.
- Launch long Weekend and “maxi-break” packages: Partner with travel platforms like Agoda and loyalty platforms to promote extended stay offers such as “Stay 4 Nights, Pay for 3”. This aligns with the growing trend of consumers turning public holidays into mini vacations.
- Push Ancillary items that help guests maximize shorter trips: Include value-adds like late check-out, complimentary breakfast, or tickets to local attractions.
- Design wellness and immersive local packages: With Asia’s wellness tourism market projected to hit USD 156.85 billion this year, hoteliers can attract high-value guests by offering digital detox retreats, spa-and-stay bundles, and locally sourced culinary experiences that can be enjoyed over a three day stay.
