Asia’s diverse and regular stream of public holidays is proving to be a boost to the Asia Pacific (APAC) travel industry as Asian tourists look to maximize their leisure time. Digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Asian travelers looking to travel long weekends are largely opting to stay in the APAC region, highlighting an opportunity for hoteliers to capture rising demand for more frequent, short stays.
Agoda saw an 80% month-on-month increase in accommodation searches from Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore ahead of the Hari Raya long weekend. Favored destinations were Japan, Thailand, China, South Korea and Taiwan. There was a similar trend during the Songkran long weekend in Thailand – with Hong Kong, Osaka, Shanghai and Seoul proving to be top choices. The recent long weekend in Vietnam, which encompassed Liberation Day and Labor Day, saw Bangkok, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul being the most searched destinations.
“The opportunity for hotels and airlines to secure bookings and incentivize travelers to extend their trips and add ancillary items to boost revenue over long weekends has never been greater,” said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply, Agoda. “Hotels should ensure they are using the right data to target the hottest consumers from across the Asia Pacific region and ensure that their service offerings are tailored to their regional tastes. For example, catering for visitors with large families by ensuring they are able to access larger and joined rooms for family travel.”
There are still multiple long weekends to come in the region in 2025 including:
| MALAYSIA | PHILIPPINES | SINGAPORE | TAIWAN | THAILAND |
| · Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Birthday (Jun 2)
· Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah) (Jun 27) · Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday (Sept 5) · Deepavali (Oct 20) |
· National Heroes Day (Aug 25) |
· Deepavali (Oct 20) | · Mid-Autumn Festival (Oct 6) | · Bridge Holiday to Queen Suthida’s Birthday (Jun 2)
· Queen Suthida’s Birthday (Jun 3) · Khao Phansa Day (Jul 11) · King Vajiralongkorn’s Birthday (Jul 28) · Bridge Holiday to Queen Mother’s Birthday (Aug 11) · Queen Mother’s Birthday (Aug 12) · Passing of His Majesty the Late King (Oct 13) · His Majesty the Late King’s Birthday (Dec 5) |
By proactively offering packages that cater to long weekend stays and micro-vacations, hotels can capitalize on these trends. Some strategies include:
- Focus on Content Marketing: Publish blog posts or guides about “Top Things to Do in [Your City] Over the Long Weekend.” Highlight local events, hidden gems, and places that are within easy reach. Use SEO best practices to ensure content ranks for relevant long weekend searches.
- Launch long Weekend and “maxi-break” packages: Partner with travel platforms like Agoda and loyalty platforms to promote extended stay offers such as “Stay 4 Nights, Pay for 3”. This aligns with the growing trend of consumers turning public holidays into mini vacations.
- Push Ancillary items that help guests maximize shorter trips: Include value-adds like late check-out, complimentary breakfast, or tickets to local attractions.
- Design wellness and immersive local packages – With Asia’s wellness tourism market projected to hit USD 156.85 billion this year, hoteliers can attract high-value guests by offering digital detox retreats, spa-and-stay bundles, and locally sourced culinary experiences that can be enjoyed over a three day stay.
