Lunar New Year celebrations in Bangkok
ASIA’s travellers are heading to destinations closer to home and are booking their holidays with lesser lead time during traditional celebratory periods, according to a report by travel marketing solutions provider Sojern.
Sojern’s Q1 2016 Global Travel Insights Report indicated that 31 per cent of South-east Asia travellers are looking to stay within the region during the Ramadan period, including during the Hari Raya Puasa, Eid al-Fitr and Sugar Feast holidays.
The figure is expected to rise as more last-minute travellers search for quick, regional trips. Sojern also predicts this to be one of the fastest-emerging holiday seasons.
During the Lunar New Year period earlier in the year, Asia-Pacific travellers initially searched for Tokyo most, with Bangkok coming in second. However, last-minute bookings affected results enough to switch the rankings at the eleventh hour. Osaka then came in as the third-most sought after destination during that celebratory period.
Meanwhile, Singapore travellers searched the most for trips to nearby Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila during the Lunar New Year holidays.
When taking into account the entire first quarter, Tokyo ranked as the top destination for Asia-Pacific travellers – due to the Cherry Blossom season – followed by Singapore and Bangkok.
