Top Travel Trends Among APAC Tourists This May Labor Day Holiday

As the May Labor Day holiday kicks off APAC’s peak travel season, evolving travel habits and preferences—including a notable uptick in cross-border travel from China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam—are presenting new opportunities across the travel landscape. Let’s dive into the insights from Trip.com to see where APAC travelers go, how they stay, and what experiences they seek in this holiday.

Key takeaways on what’s trending:

• ⁠Multi-City Adventures: Travelers are maximizing this long weekend by planning multi-city itineraries, with bookings for trips to two or more cities surging by 60% compared to last year. By pairing destinations like Osaka and Tokyo, or Kyoto and Osaka in Japan, travelers are embracing a more diverse experience. Long-haul travelers are also combining iconic cities like London and Barcelona or London and Paris, blending cultural variety with travel efficiency.
• Unique Stays: Travelers across APAC are increasingly looking for distinctive stays, driving triple-digit growth in bookings for apartments, villas, and countryside inns. As travelers seek tranquility and a deeper connection to nature, destinations surrounded by stunning landscapes, such as lakes and mountains, are highly sought after. Japan, with its hot springs, national parks, and breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji, remains a top favorite.
• Culinary & Event-Focused Travel: Food continues to play a significant role in travel plans, with culinary searches up nearly 20%. Cities like Tokyo and Osaka are winning over travelers with their local flavors. Event tourism is also booming, with travelers planning holidays around concerts and cultural festivals, such as the HIPHOPPLAYA FESTIVAL in Seoul and Eason Chan’s concert in Tokyo.

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