Global rollout of vaccines has improved 2021's travel outlook, but other 
measures will play a key role in recovery, particularly in Asia says CEO John 
Brown.



Confidence in the vaccine rollouts, discussions around COVID-19 passports and 
alternative state quarantine announcements have triggered an increase in 
international travel searches, according to digital travel platform Agoda.com. 

Agoda's search data highlights green shoots of recovery and a growing optimism 
by travelers across Asia that international travel will start to return, with 
Australia, South Korea, Japan and Indonesia witnessing an increase in the 
number of international destinations in their top 30 searches in March 2021 
compared to December 2020. Travelers from these markets are joining Mainland 
China, Taiwan and Singapore in their optimism for the resumption of 
international travel. Only Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand continued to 
see zero international destinations in their top 30 searches in both December 
2020 and March 2021. However, interestingly, Thailand and the Philippines both 
feature strongly as destinations, with Bangkok securing a spot in six out of 11 
origin markets' top 30 search lists.

Market | Number of international destinations in top 30 search (March 2021) | 
Number of international destinations in top 30 search (December 2020)

Mainland China | 10(Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR, Bangkok, Dubai, Singapore, Tokyo, 
Edinburgh, London, Cebu, Boracay Island) | 10(Bangkok, Macau SAR, Hong Kong 
SAR, Singapore, Phuket, Tokyo, Maldives, London, Taipei, Pattaya)
 
Singapore*(top 10 destinations searched) | 9(Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Manila, 
Boracay Island, Pattaya, Hong Kong, Phuket, Bali, Penang) | 9(Bangkok, Kuala 
Lumpur, Bali, Dubai, Penang, Pattaya, Manila, Hong Kong, Khao Yai)
 
Taiwan | 8(Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kyoto, Jeju Island, Osaka, Bangkok, Seoul, 
Sapporo) | 8(Tokyo, Kyoto, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Osaka, Maldives, Singapore, Bali)
 
Australia | 4(Bali, Pattaya, Bangkok, Manila) | 1(Bali)
 
South Korea | 4(Bangkok, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Bali) | 1(Bangkok)

Japan | 3(Bangkok, Manila, Pattaya)| 1(Bangkok)
 
Indonesia | 1(Genting Highlands, MY)| 0
 
Malaysia, The Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand | 0 | 0
 
Alongside these growing searches, Agoda's data shows booking patterns start to 
normalise and return to pre-COVID trends, as behaviour indicators such as lead 
times and prices, which both reduced heavily in the spring and summer of 2020, 
dip less sharply. 

"There are definitely reasons for the travel industry in Asia to start to feel 
more optimistic, and vaccines will be critical to full recovery, but 
initiatives like government subsidy programmes, such as TTogether in Thailand 
or GoTo Japan have been successful in harnessing the demand for travel and 
supporting domestic accommodation providers. Agoda's search data shows that 
travelers are looking to resume international travel, buoyed by the 
implementation of the vaccine roll-out, but there is more to do," explains John 
Brown, CEO Agoda.

"The vaccine rollout in Asia is commencing, but the pace across the region will 
vary, with some markets such as Singapore being fully vaccinated this year and 
others like Japan, Thailand and Vietnam looking more likely in 2022, so these 
heavily tourism-dependent economies need to consider how to accelerate the 
return to normality. Governments will need to innovate how they approach 
re-opening of their borders, balancing the very real need for the safety of 
their own citizens, and visitors alike, with the economic reality. For the 
foreseeable future, quarantine remains a stumbling block to international 
travel, so the provision of alternative state quarantine, as launched in 
Thailand and Hong Kong, might prove to be a sensible solution in line with a 
vaccine programme. Corporate technology partners able to move fast, will be 
able to provide governments with support to manage the complex variables that 
markets face." 

Alternative quarantine solutions (ASQ)

With travelers raring to go, now more than ever, public-private collaboration 
is integral as the world works towards the sustainable recovery of the travel 
and tourism industry, an essential pillar in Asia Pacific making up 10% of 
APAC's GDP in 2019. International travel will take on a new reality with 
integrated measures to facilitate safe and responsible international travel, 
ranging from rapid testing, health certificates, COVID-19 vaccine passports and 
more. Quarantine stays is another key measure with the likes of the Thailand 
and Hong Kong governments exploring ways for travelers to embrace quarantine 
stays, working closely with private companies to assist with technology 
solutions.

As the first market to implement ASQ, Thailand's Ministry of Public Health and 
Department of Health Service Support partnered with Agoda to leverage the 
travel platform's tech solutions enabling returning Thai nationals and 
residents to choose their preferred accommodation direct on the travel 
platform. With Thailand announcing the reopening of borders to international 
tourists this July, Agoda's ASQ platform will offer travelers flexibility in 
terms of types of accommodation choice and other variables such as duration of 
stay.

"We are seeing rays of hope as markets announce the re-opening of borders 
through initiatives like the Taiwan-Palau or potential Australia-Singapore 
travel bubbles. With more markets exploring travel corridors, Alternative State 
Quarantine accommodation provides a solution to help resume international 
travel by enabling travelers to choose a quarantine property that best suits 
their needs. We are working closely with local governments and our 
accommodation partners to identify tech-enabled solutions to spur on and 
support the revival of local tourism economies," concludes John Brown, CEO of 
Agoda. 

Visit www.agoda.com/press for top searched destinations of key markets.

Editor's Notes

--Top destination data is based on Agoda' search data on 1 December – 10 
December 2020, 1 March – 10 March 2021 with check in dates 1 Mar – 31 Dec 2021. 
About Agoda

From its beginnings as an e-commerce start-up based in Singapore in 2005, 
digital travel platform Agoda has grown to offer a global network of over 2 
million properties in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, 
offering travelers easy access to a wide choice of luxury and budget hotels, 
apartments, homes and villas, to suit all budgets and travel occasions. In 
2019, Agoda added a flight product and packages to help make travel even 
easier. Headquartered in Singapore, Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: 
BKNG) and employs more than 4,000 staff in 28 countries. Agoda.com and the 
Agoda mobile app are available in 39 languages. www.agoda.com


SOURCE  Agoda

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   Caption: John Brown, Agoda CEO