International travellers choose KL as the best place to celebrate Chinese New Year


Travellers are interested to spend Chinese New Year in KL for its festive charm. — Filepic

Being a vibrant city that celebrates every festivity with much zeal, Kuala Lumpur is unsurprisingly the top destination in the region for ushering in The Year Of The Snake.

This finding is based on searches made on the digital travel platform Agoda between Dec 1 and 25, 2024.

“Cities like KL come alive during this festive period, transforming into a spectacle of lights and colours. With a mix of traditional and modern performances, festive entertainment, and activities for all ages offered throughout the city, it leaves an unforgettable impression on all who visit,” Fabian Teja, country director for Malaysia and Brunei at Agoda, said in a press statement.

There was a 41% gain, in comparison to last year, in terms of international travellers’ searches for accommodation in Malaysia.

Travellers from China, Indonesia and Singapore especially showed the most interest in visiting Malaysian destinations, with China and Indonesia recording growth rates of 103% and 81% respectively in accommodation searches.

The interest in exploring Malaysia doesn’t just come internationally, as there has also been a 30% surge in accommodation searches by domestic travellers during the Chinese New Year period.

KL is the top destination for celebrating Chinese New Year 2025. — Tourism MalaysiaKL is the top destination for celebrating Chinese New Year 2025. — Tourism Malaysia

There is a 58% increase in searches year-on-year for KL, proving it to be the most popular destination even among locals – who are eager to celebrate the festivity in the capital city thanks to the festive charm it exudes.

For locals who are more keen on travelling outside of Malaysia during the festive season, their top choices are both found in Thailand.

Their first destination of choice is Hat Yai, which saw a 30% rise in accommodation searches compared to the year before, and the second destination is Bangkok, which recorded a 76% increase.

Placing third in the ranking is Tokyo in Japan, showing a 78% growth in accommodation searches.

However, when taking into account the combined preferences of travellers from across Asia, Tokyo is just one of the Japanese cities that holidayers are keen on visiting.

The metropolitan city tops the list of preferred Asian destinations, with Bangkok coming in next, followed by Japan’s Osaka and Fukuoka, and South Korea’s Seoul coming in fifth.

Get great deals

Meanwhile, internal findings by travel platform Traveloka show positive growth of flight and accommodation searches – for Jan 20 to Feb 2 – in the two weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year period.

Compared to the previous year, there was a two-fold increase for all countries in regard to flight searches during the festive season. KL once again is the most searched destination, along with Indonesia’s Jakarta and Medan.

When it comes to accommodation searches by Malaysians, over 70% of their preferences are focused on hotels, with apartments and resorts following behind.

Luxury resorts are great for serene getaways during the holidays. — Four Seasons HotelLuxury resorts are great for serene getaways during the holidays. — Four Seasons Hotel

Travellers looking for great deals for their hotel stays will be happy to know that Traveloka has introduced its “Blessing Good Deals” campaign, which features offers and discounts of up to 68% on hotels, attractions, flights, and cruises.

Running now until Feb 2, the campaign’s flash sales take place every Thursday to Sunday (8pm-10pm) for accommodations and experiences, as well as every Monday to Wednesday (9pm-12am) for flights.

The campaign is great for those who are still stumped on what to do during the festive season. As Traveloka suggests, they can either snap up the deals to go home for a family reunion or to go explore various travel destinations, whether local or abroad.

Places like Aquaria KLCC, Genting SkyWorlds and Legoland Malaysia are just some of the options for families.

For those wanting to explore places with rich cultural heritage can look for deals in Penang, Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), Kuching (Sarawak), Melaka and Ipoh (Perak). Pair this with a culinary hunt, such as finding the best nian gao in Penang or the best kuih kapit in Melaka.

Another great option is travelling outside of Malaysia to enjoy fun attractions abroad. These include Vietnam’s “Van Gogh and Monet Art Lighting Exhibition”, Singapore’s “Harry Potter: Visions of Magic” and Hong Kong’s Ocean Park.

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