This year's Lunar New Year holiday runs from February 16 to 18, aligning with the weekend. However, travelers can extend their break to six days by taking February 13 off, or up to nine days by adding February 19 and 20, driving a significant increase in overseas travel.
According to travel industry data released Tuesday, overseas travel bookings for the Lunar New Year period rose by double digits compared to the same period last year. Short- to medium-haul destinations, particularly Japan, Southeast Asia, and China, showed the strongest demand.
Modetour reported that holiday package bookings for departures between February 13-16 increased approximately 28% year-on-year. By region, Southeast Asia accounted for the largest share at 39%, followed by Japan (26%), China (16%), the Americas and South Pacific (7%), and Europe (6%). Bookings for Japan and China routes surged approximately 60% each, recording the steepest growth.
Yellow Balloon also saw Lunar New Year overseas package bookings rise more than 21% from last year. While short- to medium-haul routes to Japan and Southeast Asia showed strong demand, long-haul destinations such as Europe and Oceania maintained only modest shares.
Kyowon Tour's Travel Easy reported overseas travel demand increased approximately 12% year-on-year. Japan emerged as the most popular destination, accounting for 23.4% of total bookings, followed by Vietnam (16.3%), Thailand (11.2%), Taiwan (8.7%), and China (7.4%). Greater China, including Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and Macau, exceeded 18% of total bookings.
Industry officials expect additional demand to continue, noting that time remains before the holiday and last-minute bookings are common for short-haul routes. Booking inquiries are reportedly steady not only for weekends before and after the holiday but also for departures on Lunar New Year's Day and the final day of the break.
A pattern of "short-haul focused" travel appears to be solidifying. Analysts attribute this to high prices and airfare costs in Europe and the Americas, as well as wars and near-conflict situations in parts of the Middle East and Europe dampening appetite for long-distance travel. Some industry observers characterize this as "the era of austerity overseas travel."
According to global hotel search platform HotelsCombined and travel search engine Kayak, overseas hotel searches for the Lunar New Year period (February 13-22) increased approximately 29% year-on-year. Japan accounted for approximately 53% of all flight searches, with Osaka and Fukuoka ranking first and second as representative holiday destinations.
China showed the biggest change this year. As airfare prices dropped significantly, hotel searches tripled compared to last year. Average airfare for Qingdao routes fell approximately 55% year-on-year to around 140,000 won, propelling the city's emergence as a budget-friendly destination.
The Chinese government's expanded visa-free policy also contributed to increased demand. South Korea was added to the visa-free entry list in November last year, with the maximum stay extended to 30 days. Short flight times and affordable local prices have lowered the barrier to entry, analysts said.
Changes are also evident in accommodation preferences. Four-star hotels accounted for the highest share of searches at 39.8%, followed by five-star properties at 28.2%. This suggests travelers increasingly view the holiday as a time for rest and rejuvenation rather than simple sightseeing, with a clear preference for premium accommodations.