KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia is among the top three destinations to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year festivities, only surpassed by Thailand and Japan, according to booking data provided by digital travel platform Agoda.
The booking data showed that Malaysia's top inbound markets are Singapore, Brunei, China, Indonesia, and South Korea.
China, which ranks third overall and holds a place in the top five lists for Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, is back in the running for the first time since 2019.
The five most popular destinations visited within Malaysia are international favourite Kuala Lumpur, followed by Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Malacca, and Penang.
Malaysian tourists are also visiting a wide range of foreign locations. Their top picks are Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea.
Top Thai cities are the most popular international travel destinations for Malaysians, with Hat Yai, Bangkok, and Krabi taking the top three positions. The next two most popular destinations on the list are Seoul and Bali.
"The Lunar New Year period is a significant time for travel, and this year is no different. Since 2019, hotels and destinations have diversified the appeal of their markets with visa-free travel and other incentives.
"That has made them less reliant on one market and more appealing to new travelers. But the travel industry will no doubt be looking forward to welcoming back more travelers from China this year," said Enric Casals, associate vice president Southeast Asia at Agoda.
He said that the Lunar New Year holiday is extended to a long weekend in many Asian markets, with week-long celebrations in China, Japan (Spring Holiday), and Vietnam (Tet), even though it is officially observed on February 10, 2024.
Holiday travel is typically at its highest during this time of year for visitors from China's mainland.
In terms of geography, the countries from which outbound tourists originate the most are South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Japan.
These foreign visitors most frequently visit markets in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand.
