Tokyo has overtaken Bangkok as the number one Chinese New Year (CNY) destination for Asian travelers in 2018, a title held by Bangkok for the last two years, according to global online booking platform agoda.
Japan has taken three of the top spots as Kyoto makes an entry for the first time and Osakamoves up from 9th place in 2016 to 3rd top destination for CNY 2018. City escapes have dominated the rankings with only one beach destination — Phuket, Thailand — making the top ten.
The appeal of Tokyo’s nearby Yokohama Chinatown district — which hosts two weeks of events, including a countdown party, traditional lion dance performances, parades, and a Lantern Festival — has attracted travelers from all over the world, with the largest groups of foreign visitors hailing from Taiwan (26%), South Korea (15%) and Mainland China(15%).
Meanwhile other destinations such as Singapore and Chiang Mai have slipped down the rankings: from 3rd place in 2016 to 8th place in 2018 and from 7th place in 2016 to 12th place in 2018, respectively.
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
1. Bangkok, Thailand | 1. Bangkok, Thailand | 1. Tokyo, Japan |
2. Tokyo, Japan | 2. Tokyo, Japan | 2. Bangkok, Thailand |
3. Singapore | 3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 3. Osaka, Japan |
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 4. Taipei, Taiwan | 4. Taipei, Taiwan |
5. Taipei, Taiwan | 5. Hong Kong | 5. Seoul, South Korea |
6. Hong Kong | 6. Seoul, South Korea | 6. Hong Kong |
7. Chiang Mai, Thailand | 7. Osaka, Japan | 7. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
8. Phuket, Thailand | 8. Singapore | 8. Singapore |
9. Osaka, Japan | 9. Chiang Mai, Thailand | 9. Kyoto, Japan |
10. Bali, Indonesia | 10. Pattaya, Thailand | 10. Phuket, Thailand |
Top ten CNY destinations for Asian travelers | ||
Malaysians are more inclined to celebrate the Lunar New Year in their own backyard, with nine out of the top ten hot spots domestic destinations. Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang have held the top three spots since 2016, while beaches of Langkawi and the cool climes of Cameron Highlands attract travelers looking to escape the cities.
Thailand is the only foreign country to make the top ten in 2018 with Bangkok and Hait Yai making appearances at 4thand 5th place, respectively.
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 1. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
2. Malacca, Malaysia | 2. Malacca, Malaysia | 2. Malacca, Malaysia |
3. Penang, Malaysia | 3. Penang, Malaysia | 3. Penang, Malaysia |
4. Langkawi, Malaysia | 4. Johor Bahru, Malaysia | 4. Bangkok, Thailand |
5. Port Dickson, Malaysia | 5. Bangkok, Thailand | 5. Hat Yai, Thailand |
6. Johor Bahru, Malaysia | 6. Ipoh, Malaysia | 6. Langkawi, Malaysia |
7. Bangkok, Thailand | 7. Langkawi, Malaysia | 7. Ipoh, Malaysia |
8. Ipoh, Malaysia | 8. Port Dickson, Malaysia | 8. Port Dickson, Malaysia |
9. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia | 9. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia | 9. Cameron Highlands, Malaysia |
10. Kuantan, Malaysia | 10. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia | 10. Johor Bahru, Malaysia |
Top ten CNY destinations for Malaysian travelers | ||
Read the full story here: http://mediaroom.agoda.
About the research
Destination booking data was collated for CNY dates in 2016, 2017 and 2018 across Asia.
About agoda
agoda (Nasdaq:PCLN) is one of the world’s fastest-growing online travel booking platforms. Established in 2005, the start-up quickly expanded in Asia and was acquired in 2007 by the Priceline Group — the world’s largest seller of rooms online. agoda is headquartered in Singapore, with 53 offices in major cities across over 30 countries and over 3,700 staff worldwide. It provides a network of over 1.8 million accommodation properties, including apartments, villas, homes, and hotels backed by over 15 million real traveler reviews. agoda was a pioneer in non-hotel accommodation, offering villas and homes throughout the region from the very start.