The faith and heritage quarter, with Phú Quốc leading the newcomers.
Faith and heritage shaped some of the quarter’s most distinctive journeys. Accommodation bookings from Indonesia to Mecca were up by more than half on the same period last year, while bookings to Jeddah and Madinah rose against the previous quarter as momentum behind umrah travel picked up. Malaysia travelers bought tickets to Borobudur, and Vietnam travelers headed for the temples and historic streets of Luang Prabang. On the regional board, Vietnam’s Phú Quốc outpaced its origin-market benchmark in all five markets we track, leading five newcomers, while China’s big cities and Seoul were back for a second straight quarter.
Phú Quốc led five newcomers, cementing its status as the trending Southeast Asia beach destination. Hangzhou is a rising destination to watch, while two ultra long haul favorites in London and Paris saw surging interest for end of year travel. Nagoya saw an Asian Games crowd, most prominently from Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. East Asia's stalwarts Chengdu, Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, and Shenzhen returned from Q2.
A second straight quarter is what separates a trend from a moment. China's big cities were back on the board and show no signs of slowing. With mutual visa-free travel now in place for Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, China has stopped looking like a novelty and started to look like a Southeast Asian habit. Europe's on the mind as autumn-winter approaches, with major interest in London from Malaysia, while Paris's came from Vietnam. The latter fits a wider westward swing from Vietnam, where flights to major European cities like Amsterdam and Rome saw an uplift, albeit at lower volumes.
Vietnam's beach-and-island star is quickly becoming a regional favorite, outpacing the market benchmark in all five countries we track as the island readies to host APEC in 2027.
West Lake's city of tea and gardens saw growing interest from Indonesia and Vietnam travelers.
As the new Premier League season kicked off, London saw its strongest relative momentum from Malaysia.
Every market wrote its own story this quarter. Indonesia took to the road for the hills and temples of Central Java. Malaysia’s domestic risers clustered along the east coast and in Borneo, while Chengdu and Chiang Mai led its overseas list. Singapore travelers looked to East Asia, while their Vietnam counterparts reached for Hangzhou and Taiwan. Beyond city breaks, Malaysia travelers also bought tickets to Borobudur, adding faith and heritage to the picture.
Every market saw a unique story:
- Indonesia traded the plane for the road. Four of the top five domestic risers sit within driving range of Java's big cities: Wonosobo for the Dieng Plateau, Magelang for Borobudur, Pangandaran and Sukabumi. Just off the top five internationally: Mecca (#7), Jeddah (#9), and Madinah (#10) added a faith-and-heritage thread. Accommodation bookings to Mecca rose by more than half on last year.
- Malaysia looked east at home and farther afield abroad. Terengganu, Borneo, and Kelantan led domestically. Abroad, Chengdu and Chiang Mai led a list that also included Phú Quốc, London, and Shanghai.
- Singapore travelers went with what they knew in East Asia, and when they went far, they went cool. Jeju, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Seoul filled the international top five. Farther afield, bookings to Melbourne more than tripled.
- Thailand travelers headed for China, and went together. Chongqing's cyberpunk skyline topped the international list as new direct flights made it easier to reach. Travel parties to China's big cities grew larger than a year ago, potentially a sign of friends and families making the trip together. At home, the top riser was Khao Yai, the national park within easy reach of Bangkok.
- Vietnam travelers wasted no time once Hangzhou was a direct flight away. The West Lake city topped the international list as airlines added direct flights from Vietnam this year, with Taiwan's Taichung and Kaohsiung also in the top five. At home, Vinh saw a big spike in interest, while Phú Quốc, Côn Đảo, Chu Lai, and Buôn Ma Thuột completed the list.
Travelers’ wishlists had range this quarter. Searches from Vietnam for New York rose over 150%, while Malaysia travelers looked toward Central Asia’s mountainous scenery. From West Java’s highlands to Manhattan’s skyline, Southeast Asia’s next destinations are as diverse as the region itself.
Highland escapes, island breaks, and big-city daydreams all found a place on this quarter’s wishlists. Even as Indonesia travelers trade the sky for the road, they are still looking for new experiences, with Garut’s highlands an interesting option close to Bandung and Jakarta. Malaysia and Vietnam looked far, to the mountains above Almaty and the Big Apple. Thailand travelers looked closer to home, toward the island of Koh Chang. They say locals tend to know best. Could Koh Chang be the next Phú Quốc?
A little altitude adjustment, within driving distance of Bandung and Jakarta.
Almaty’s breathtaking mountain backdrop landed on many a Malaysia traveler’s shortlist.
A cool climate paired with warm kopi saw Singapore interest in Bandung climb significantly.
Island time closer to home. Are Thailand travelers on to the next trendy beach destination?
Knicks in five: the concrete jungle that Vietnam travelers’ dreams are made of.
Mecca’s longer stays, Borobudur’s burgeoning popularity, and Luang Prabang’s rising bookings suggest a common thread: travelers choosing places for what they mean, and building a journey around them. Intentional travel has been a common theme this year, and there are few things as intentional as a spiritual trip. To a lesser extent, the same intentionality is echoed in patriotic supporters traveling to Nagoya to cheer their nation's athletes on, or even K-pop fandoms following their idols from city to city.