The Lunar New Year (LNY) celebrations, scheduled between January 28 and February 4, 2025, are expected to drive tourism in Southeast Asia, one of the most popular destinations for Chinese tourists during the LNY. At the Asia-Pacific level, Thailand continues to rank among the top three destinations for LNY travel, alongside Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, which have visa-free travel policies in place, are especially poised to benefit from the LNY holiday travel surge.
According to Trip.com's latest report on Lunar New Year travel trends, more tourists are exploring lesser-known destinations this year, including Funabashi, Ibaraki and Okinawa (Japan) and Seremban (Malaysia). Malaysia and Thailand have emerged as the most popular destinations for short-haul flights, recording the highest booking volumes. Cruise tourism is also expected to play a key role, with Singapore ranked among the most popular port destinations and Phuket, Thailand, highlighted as attractive port destination, along with Fukuoka, Japan, and Jeju, South Korea. In Vietnam, the northern province of Quảng Ninh, home to the UNESCO-listed Hạ Long Bay, anticipates a rise in tourist arrivals, with 11 luxury cruise ships scheduled to dock at its port starting January 29.
Despite the positive outlook, Thailand faces challenges in light of the recent human trafficking cases involving Chinese victims that have led to a decline in flight bookings from China. In response, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra assured tourists that the government has intensified security measures to ensure their safety ahead of the Lunar New Year celebrations.
