Lunar New Year 2025 Trends by Trip.com Group: Travel Like A Snake -- Longer Stays and Shedding Off the "Usual" Destinations
CNW Group
7 min read
Rise in cross-border travel with stays up to 10% longer this holiday season
Growing interest in off-the-beaten-path destinations and cruises
SINGAPORE, Jan. 19, 2025 /CNW/ -- This Lunar New Year (LNY) is shaping up to be a festive season of exploration and connection as celebrating families and friends worldwide embrace the holiday spirit.
This year marks the year of the Snake, a symbol of wisdom, intuition, and transformation — themes that reflect the everchanging travel landscape. While some choose to celebrate at home, others have taken the opportunity to create memories in destinations far and near. With travel back in full swing, Trip.com Group has unveiled its latest LNY trends for 2025, showcasing how travellers are prioritising longer stays, meaningful experiences and unconventional destinations this year.
Cross-Border Travel Hits New Heights with Extended Stays
Data reveals strong year-on-year growth for cross-border travel, with travellers combining public holidays and annual leave to increase their length of stay.
Notably, in the Chinese mainland, a key source of LNY travel, New Year's Eve is officially recognised as a holiday in 2025. This allows travellers to take just two days of leave for an eleven-day holiday. Korean travellers need to take one day for a nine-day break, while Singaporeans can create a five-day holiday with a single day off. As such, extended stays are a hallmark of this year's LNY. On average, Asia-Pacific travellers will stay up to 10% longer this festive period.
Popular destinations frequented by travellers who celebrate LNY include Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Chinese mainland.
Interest in Longer-haul Flights and Lesser-known Destinations Rise
Data shows a strong pick-up in travellers exploring destinations outside the Asia-Pacific region, with medium and long-haul flights surging, especially among the Malaysia market (55% and 60% respectively) and South Korean market (36% & 90% respectively).
Travellers are also seeking new experiences, with a noticeable buzz around off-the-beaten-path destinations this festive season. Lesser-travelled gems such as Giza (Egypt), famous for the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx; San Luis Obispo (USA), known for its wineries and scenic coastline; and Charenton-le-Pont (France), located southeast of central Paris, are catching the eyes of travellers seeking unique experiences beyond the usual tourist trail. This trend extends to popular Asian destinations, with more seeking out lesser-known cities, such as Funabashi, Ibaraki and Okinawa (Japan) and Seremban (Malaysia).
Short-haul flights remained a popular option among travellers with shorter national holidays. Malaysia and Thailand topped the charts for this in terms of booking volume growth.
Family Travel Takes Centre Stage
Family gatherings are central to Lunar New Year traditions, and this year, families are heading out together for festive fun - on the seas and on theme park rides.
Cruises are becoming an increasingly popular choice among Chinese mainland and Singaporean consumers, with data highlighting a triple-digit growth compared to last year. Among these, family-friendly rooms have risen by 400%, with the most popular ports including Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai, and attractive port destinations being Fukuoka (Japan), Jeju (South Korea) and Phuket (Thailand). Trip.com Group research reveals luxurious amenities and all-inclusive packages are emerging as the biggest motivators for APAC cruise travellers.
In a similar trend, child tickets for attractions have also risen by 42% in overall bookings this year, with family-oriented attractions like Universal Studios Japan, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland seeing notable increases. These theme park attractions, alongside aquariums and museums, are top choices for families seeking memorable experiences.
Millennials are increasingly seeking Instagram-worthy moments at attractions like Mount Fuji and Shibuya Sky, which offers panoramic Tokyo views. Meanwhile, the older generations are prioritising luxury and premium experiences, gravitating towards luxuries such as Studio City Macau casino resort and Niseko's ski resorts.
Premium Travel or Value for Money?
Travellers are adopting a mix of premium and value-driven approaches to maximise their holiday experiences.
There has been a strong pickup in bookings for 5 & 4-star hotels, with a rise in average bookings. Malaysian travellers lead this growth with close to a triple-digit surge in 5 & 4-star hotel bookings, followed by Singaporean and Thai travellers.
Demand for alternative accommodations has grown significantly, especially in Japan, with traditional Japanese Ryokans, apartments, guesthouses and homestays topping the list for Chinese mainland, Thai and South Korean travellers.
Notably, the average traveller's budget has seen double-digit growth, showcasing a willingness to invest in meaningful experiences during this festive season. Business class and first-class flights are trending this LNY, with strong double-digit growth across each segment. Singaporeans favour first-class air travel, with a 400% growth compared to last year, followed by South Korean and Chinese mainland travellers, also with strong triple-digit growth.
Inbound Travel to the Chinese Mainland Experiences Triple-digit Growth
Inbound travel bookings to the Chinese mainland have surged by over 200% Y-o-Y, with top bookings made by travellers from South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, the United States, Australia, and the UK.
Data shows that popular Chinese travel routes continue to find increased popularity, with searches hitting triple-digit growth. Travel is centred around key major cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing, with other lesser-travelled cities like Harbin, Chengdu, Xiamen, Zhuhai, Chongqing, and Hangzhou also making the list.
China's increasingly traveller-friendly visa policies are fuelling this growth. Over 30 countries enjoy visa-free travel to the Chinese mainland, with 62% Y-o-Y growth in bookings from countries recently included in this policy. South Korea, Japan, Cyprus, Denmark and Croatia are benefiting from this recent policy.
Additionally, China's expanded visa-free transit policy, now extending to stays up to 240 hours (10 days) for eligible international travellers, is injecting fresh vitality into its various sectors.
To provide an exceptional service for inbound travellers, Trip.com Group is providing its second free layover tour, following the success of its 'Shanghai Express' initiative. The 'Beijing Express' allows travellers transiting in Beijing to choose one of two half-day tours to explore the beating heart of China's capital. 'Journey to the Great Wall' takes travellers to one of the earliest and best-preserved parts of the Great Wall of China. 'Highlights Half-Day City Tour' guides travellers on a cultural trip to the 'Temple of Heaven', 'Qianmen Street' and 'Tian'anmen Square' to experience Beijing's historical traditions and vibrant culture. Each tour includes free transportation, attraction tickets, internet access, and English-speaking tour guides. Travellers will need to register in person at Beijing Capital International Airport, with spots allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
This initiative aligns with the growing demand for cultural experiences. Already, attraction and tour orders for the LNY have increased by over 200% Y-o-Y, with Beijing witnessing a 185% increase in inbound travellers compared to last year. Four out of five top attractions were cultural landmarks, such as the Great Wall of Badaling, the Great Wall of Mutianyu, the Forbidden City Museum and the Summer Palace.
Trip.com Group is a leading global travel service provider comprising of Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of comprehensive travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group has become one of the best-known travel groups in the world, with the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.
