Confidence in the vaccine rollouts, discussions around COVID-19 passports and alternative state quarantine announcements have triggered an increase in international travel searches, according to digital travel platform Agoda.com.

Agoda’s search data highlights green shoots of recovery and a growing optimism by travelers across Asia that international travel will start to return, with Australia, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia witnessing an increase in the number of international destinations in their top 30 searches in March 2021 compared to December 2020.  Travelers from these markets are joining China, Taiwan and Singapore in their optimism for the resumption of international travel. Only Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand continued to see zero international destinations in their top 30 searches in both December 2020 and March 2021.  However, interestingly, Thailand and the Philippines both feature strongly as destinations, with Bangkok securing a spot in six out of 11 origin markets’ top 30 search lists.

Alongside these growing searches, Agoda’s data shows booking patterns start to normalise and return to pre-COVID trends, as behaviour indicators such as lead times and prices, which both reduced heavily in the spring and summer of 2020, dip less sharply.

“There are definitely reasons for the travel industry in Asia to start to feel more optimistic, and vaccines will be critical to full recovery, but initiatives like government subsidy programmes, such as TTogether in Thailand or GoTo Japan have been successful in harnessing the demand for travel and supporting domestic accommodation providers. Agoda’s search data shows that travelers are looking to resume international travel, buoyed by the implementation of the vaccine roll-out, but there is more to do,“ explains John Brown, CEO Agoda.

“The vaccine rollout in Asia is not expected to begin in earnest in markets like Japan, Thailand and Vietnam, until 2022 or 2023, and these heavily tourism-dependent economies can’t wait that long for normality to resume.  Governments will need to innovate how they approach re-opening of their borders, balancing the very real need for the safety of their own citizens, and visitors alike, with the economic reality. Quarantine remains a stumbling block to many looking to travel internationally, so alternative quarantine options seem to be a sensible solution in line with a vaccine programme.  The proven success of alternative state quarantine in Thailand and Hong Kong might help to solve the matter for other governments across the region, with corporate technology partners able to move fast to provide the support to manage the complex variables that markets face.”

Alternative quarantine solutions (ASQ)

With travelers raring to go, now more than ever, public-private collaboration is integral as the world works towards the sustainable recovery of the travel and tourism industry, an essential pillar in Asia Pacific making up 10% of APAC’s GDP in 2019. International travel will take on a new reality with integrated measures to facilitate safe and responsible international travel, ranging from rapid testing, health certificates, COVID-19 vaccine passports and more. Quarantine stays is another key measure with the likes of the Thailand and Hong Kong governments exploring ways for travelers to embrace quarantine stays, working closely with private companies to assist with technology solutions.

As the first market to implement ASQ, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health and Department of Health Service Support partnered with Agoda to leverage the travel platform’s tech solutions enabling returning Thai nationals and residents to choose their preferred accommodation direct on the travel platform. With Thailand announcing the reopening of borders to international tourism this July, it provides flexibility and more accommodation options for quarantine to choose from for varying lengths of stay.

“We are seeing rays of hopes as markets start to shore up their local economies with the announcement of the Taiwan-Palau and Australia-Singapore travel bubbles. With more markets exploring travel bubbles, governments putting in place Alternative Quarantine Accommodation not only allows residents to choose their preferred hotels, but also provides a sustainable way for international tourists to travel. We are working closely with local governments and our accommodation partners to identify tech-enabled solutions to spur on and support the local tourism economy,” concludes John Brown, CEO of Agoda.

MARKET SPECIFIC INSIGHTS

Australia

• Four out of Australian’s top 30 searched destinations are international in March 2021, compared to one out of 30 in December 2020.
• Top International Searched Destinations (with top 30): Bali, Pattaya, Bangkok, Manila
• Top Domestic destinations: Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane

China

• Top International and non-mainland Searched Destinations: Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore
• Top Mainland Domestic Searched Cities: Shanghai, Sanya, Beijing, Shenzhen, Foshan

Malaysia

• No international destinations featured in Malaysia’s top 30 searches in March 2021 or December 2020
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Langkawi, Port Dickson

Indonesia

• IOut of Indonesians’ top 30 searched destinations, one is international in March 2021, compared to none in December 2020
• Top International Searched Destinations: Genting Highlands
• Top Domestic Searched Destinations: Bandung, Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta, Puncak

Philippines

• No international destinations featured in Filipinos’ top 30 searches in March 2021 or December 2020. Travelers are less optimistic about international travel now compared to September 2020 where eight overseas destinations were in the top 30 searches
• Top Domestic Searched Destinations: Batangas, Boracay Island, Manila, Cebu, Subic (Zambales)

Japan

• Compared to December 2020, Bangkok rose from #19 to #12 top searched destination for Japanese travelers.
• Three international destinations made it to Japan travelers’ top 30 searched destinations in March 2021, compared to just one in December 2020. They are Bangkok, Manila and Pattaya
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Tokyo, Okinawa Main island, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka

South Korea

• Four international destinations (Bangkok, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Bali) made it to Korea’s top searched destinations list in March 2021 as compared to just one in December 2020
• Excluding China, South Korea is the only market where travelers are searching non-Asian destinations in the top 30 searches.
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Jeju Island, Seoul, Busan, Gangneung-si, Sokcho-si

Singapore

• Nearby Southeast Asian destinations continue to feature in Singaporean’s top searched cities. Hong Kong has also risen from #12 to #7 since September 2020
• Top International Searched Destinations: Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, Boracay Island, Pattaya

Taiwan

• Japan is the most searched international market for Taiwanese accounting for four in eight international destinations- Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Sapparo
• Korea is the second most popular search market for Taiwanese
• Top International Searched Destinations: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Jeju Island, Kyoto, Osaka, Bangkok, Seoul and Sapparo
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Taipei, Hualien, Taichung, Yilan, Tainan

Thailand

• No international destinations featured in Thai’s top 30 searches in March 2021 or December 2020
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Pattaya, Hua Hin / Cha-am, Bangkok, Phuket, Khao Yai
• Bangkok features in six of out nine markets’ international searches

Vietnam

• No international destinations featured in Vietnamese travelers’ top 30 searches in March 2021 or December 2020.
• Top International Searched Destinations: Taipei, Bangkok, Kaohsiung, Tokyo, Singapore
• Top Domestic Searched Cities: Vung Tau, Phu Quoc Island, Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang