Against the backdrop of this year's year-end and New Year holiday period, which can provide up to 9 consecutive holidays by taking 28 December off, booking trends for overseas local tours have been announced. Demand for Asia is rising, with bookings for Laos and Palau standing out, while popular tours are already beginning to sell out.
Veltra, which operates a booking site for local experiences, announced booking trends for overseas local tours and activities during the 2026–2027 year-end and New Year holiday period (25 December–10 January). The favorable calendar, which allows up to 9 consecutive holidays by taking 28 December off, is driving demand for Asian destinations that are easy to visit. Average per-person spending on local experiences rose slightly to approximately ¥30,500 (106% year on year).
Taiwan entered the Top 5 most popular destinations, edging out Guam, indicating increasing concentration in Asia. Thailand surged to second place, overtaking Australia, and 3 of the Top 5 destinations are now in Asia, with more travelers choosing options that make it easy to keep accommodation costs down.
Growth in bookings from the previous year is also attracting attention. Laos rose 633.3%, Palau 80.0% and Cambodia 55.6%. The increase is said to reflect growing demand for “special experiences away from the crowds,” including untouched nature and World Heritage sites.
Year-end and New Year holiday tours are already beginning to sell out. Experiences still available to book include a Jiufen, Shifen and Taipei 101 countdown tour in Taiwan, aurora viewing in Whitehorse and a Grand Pearl cruise in Thailand. Listed tour prices include ¥12,264 for the Taiwan tour, from ¥170,055 for the Canadian aurora viewing tour and ¥20,792 for the Thailand cruise.