For most of us, reuniting with friends and family is the main reason to travel in 2023. Agoda’s Travel Trends survey asked travellers to share their top travel goals for the New Year; and reuniting with loved ones, wellness and food, arts & culture making made it as the top three reasons, and adventure and celebrating a milestone rounded out the top five.
Taiwan (33%), Australia (31%) and the United States (25%) are where travellers will most likely plan a holiday reunion with family or friends, but for travellers from several other countries, there are other key motivations to embark on a trip. In South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore for example, it is recharging mentally and physically that tops the list, contributing to the number two spot for wellness in the ‘reasons to travel’ ranking of Agoda’s Travel Trend survey.
Among people from Japan (44%), Taiwan (24%) and Vietnam (23%), their biggest travel appetite is for (re)discovering food, arts & culture. In fact, a staggering 44% of Japanese travellers listed this as their main travel goal, the highest number for any travel objective in a single country. Four times more than the Philippines, where only 11% percent are looking to travel for food, arts & culture and seeking adventure is the main reason to leave home (30%). Adventure travel also ranks highest among travelers from Indonesia (23%).
For Malaysia, reuniting with family and friends (21%) is the main driver for travel. This is closely followed by an appetite for adventure (20%), a desire for an indulgent break to refresh the senses (19%) and the lure of food, arts and culture (18%).
