Japan trendy among Thais for New Year
Bookings by Thai travellers of Airbnb accommodation in Japan over the New Year holiday are showing strong growth from last year, the home-sharing platform says.
While Seoul is the most-booked New Year destination based on growth in Thai guest arrivals from last year, travel to Japan is rising with Tokyo, Osaka and Hokkaido among the top five trending international destinations for Thais.
London tops the list with 164% growth from a year earlier, followed by Shanghai (162%), Tokyo (87%), Osaka (70%) and Hokkaido (61%).
The figures are based on Airbnb internal data of year-on-year growth in guest arrivals for New Year’s Eve weekend 2019 compared with New Year’s Eve weekend 2018.
For those opting to stay home and explore Thailand, the cool mountains of the North are the most popular this New Year’s Eve, with Chiang Mai the top domestic destination, Airbnb said.
Chiang Mai has also experienced the highest growth rate, with bookings up 90% year-on-year, followed by Phuket (up 82%) and Bangkok (up 64%).
Based on both domestic and international Airbnb booking data, the five most-booked Thai destinations for New Year’s Eve celebrations are, in order, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui.
During the peak New Year travel season from Dec 30 to Jan 5, the top trending Airbnb experiences booked in Thailand are nature, with 400% growth from a year earlier, and food and drink, up 253%, the company said.