The sakura or cherry blossom season is a very popular time for travel. Malaysians now have extra peace of mind when planning cherry blossom trips to Japan and South Korea, as Klook recently introduced its “Bloom Back Guarantee” programme.
The programme offers a 30% refund on selected tours if the flowers don’t bloom during the predicted peak periods, helping ease so-called “bloom anxiety” among travellers.
The travel booking platform also launched its Spring Readiness Index, based on date from TravelPulse, highlighting how people are planning their spring holidays. TravelPulse's annual survey tracking travel habits and preferences of mostly Millennials and Gen Z is now in its fourth edition. It gathered responses from 11,000 consumers from Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and the United States.
The study found that 66% of Malaysians plan to visit Japan, followed by South Korea (54%) and China (47%). Holidaymakers are also taking advantage of the stronger ringgit, opting for multi-destination trips: 74% are exploring beyond major hubs like Tokyo or Seoul to spots such as Nagoya, Shizuoka and Hakone in Japan, and Gyeonggi-do in South Korea.
When it comes to the sakura season, Malaysians are embracing flexible planning, with 70% of respondents booking activities within two months of their departure to match real-time bloom forecasts. Despite the enthusiasm, half worry about peak-season price hikes, and nearly as many (49%) are concerned about limited slots at popular attractions.
To assist travellers, Klook appointed “chief spring officers”, including Malaysia’s representative Chanwon, who provides live insights, practical tips and content via the platform's Instagram page.
Klook is also offering Malaysia-specific promotions to make travel more affordable, including cherry blossom discount codes, weekly deals and a special Friday discount. – Gisele Soo
