Domestic travel tops charts for India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines, while Singapore based travelers are keen to explore newly opened borders this Eid.
With most countries now transitioning to endemicity, the complete easing of restrictions comes as a breath of fresh air and delight for many especially as they gear up to celebrate Eid, a festivity largely spent with family.
For many regions, the Eid celebration this year marks the first time since the onset of the pandemic that people are able to travel freely. Hence, domestic travel tops charts for India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippines, while Singapore based travelers are keen to explore newly opened borders, with neighboring Malaysia ranking top destinations this Eid.
Meanwhile, booking data from Agoda reveals that Indians are seeking out warmer climates, with Maldives topping the list of favourite international destinations followed by Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.
When it comes to the APAC (Asia-Pacific) region, Thailand and Singapore as the most popular regional destinations for festive travellers, with Thailand leading the pack in making the top five destination list for all countries. This is followed by Singapore, which placed in top five for Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. Indonesia and Malaysia are on par, emerging as Eid favorites for two countries, respectively.
On the international front, Malaysians, Indonesians and Filipinos are flocking to cooler weather conditions with the United Kingdom and United States appearing as the choice destination.
Moreover, the month of May is popular among eager travelers across Southeast Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, India and Indonesia) as the first two weeks of the month include three public holidays namely Labour Day (1 May), Eid (3-4 May) and Vesak Day (16 May), signaling a golden opportunity for travel.
Most popular destination comparisons by country over 2019 & 2022 Eid celebration period:
India
– Maldives makes an entry to become the choice international destination for Indians this year. This is followed by Thailand (#3) and United Arab Emirates (#4).
– Despite border reopening, Malaysia dropped out of the list this year despite placing third in 2019.
Malaysia
– Thailand remains the top regional destination for Malaysians over the festive period, while Singapore overtakes Japan to claim second spot.
– Malaysians opting for international destinations are looking to venture further this year with United Kingdom (#4), Turkey (#6), Australia (#7), Switzerland (#9) and France (#10) making an entry to the top ten list.
Singapore
– Malaysia maintains its position as the top regional destination for Singaporeans while Thailand shifts from third spot to second place.
– Switzerland and the United States make a welcomed entry to the list as 2019 favourites such as Japan, China and Taiwan remain closed to international tourists.
– Philippines jumps from the bottom of the top ten leaderboard to fifth this year.
Indonesia
– Malaysia, which was the number two choice back in 2019 fell two spots down to fourth place in 2022 while Singapore rose to claim second spot this year.
– This year also sees interesting new additions to the top ten list with United States (#3), France (#5), Switzerland (#6), Turkey (#7), Netherlands (#9), Italy and United Kingdom (#10) making an entry.
