Gen Z travellers are showing an inclination for group travel rathern than solo trips this year, according to insights derived from a survey conducted as part of the 2026 Travel Outlook Report by Agoda.
Based on the findings, the travel trend of Malaysian Gen Z (defined by Agoda as aged 19 to 28) is shaped more by shared experiences with their loved ones, less so by solo explorations.
Approximately 41% are planning to travel with family, while 38% are looking at travelling with a spouse or partner.
“For the Malaysian Gen Z, travel is becoming a more natural part of everyday life, but what stands out is how shared that experience remains,” Fabian Teja, country director, Malaysia and Brunei at Agoda, said in a press statement.
This is also reflected in their accommodation preferences. A large percentage (48%) still opt for hotels, but as many as one in three Gen Z travellers (or 31%) in Malaysia are now preferring homes and apartments as well.
The latter is indicative of larger travel groups that prefer spending their time on their trips mostly with each other.
With Malaysian Gen Z viewing travelling as more of a communal activity, it also makes sense that they are more flexible with their planning of it.
A less strict window for travels means that they can arrange their schedule to align with their friends’ or family’s schedule. In this case, no one will have to be “abandoned”, so to speak, if they are unable to get time off for travelling.
Travelling has also become a more regular part of life for Malaysian Gen Z, as they no longer view it as an activity reserved for one major annual holiday. They are looking at shorter but more frequent trips, with 38% planning to take four to six trips throughout 2026.
Approximately 52% plan to make most of these travels within Malaysia. Meanwhile, 41% are planning to do both domestic and international travels.
When it comes to experiences they seek on their travels, Gen Z travellers choose relaxation as their key priority (76%). Other key motivations include cultural exploration (34%), culinary experiences (31%) and outdoor activities (28%). This indicates that they are planning their trips with more enjoyable and meaningful experiences.
The findings from Agoda’s survey, which was conducted in October 2025 with 3,353 respondents from nine markets in Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, India, South Korea and Japan) shows similar Gen Z travel trends across Asia.
Young travellers in the region show that their travels are motivated by experiences, such as cultural exploration (32%), outdoor activities (30%) and culinary discoveries (28%).
They are also travelling more frequently, with 73% planning to take one to six trips a year, and 86% opting for stays ranging from one to seven days. Aside from Malaysia, other markets showing interest in frequent travelling are India, Thailand and Vietnam.
In another survey by Agoda, the findings show that Malaysian travellers are more focused on ease and flexibility when booking their accommodations.
The survey, which expands beyond Gen Z travellers, looks at accommodation searches done by travellers in 10 Asian markets (India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) from Jan 1 to April 15, 2026.
Malaysian travellers more often search for accommodations with breakfast included (12%), and look at review scores of eight and higher (8%).
Also popular in 2026 are search filters for practical options such as “swimming pool” (4%), “free cancellation” (4%), “payment options” (4%) and “car park” (3%).
Most travellers are also interested in room features that enhance comfort; bathtub is among the top 10 search filters.
Flexible booking is preferred by Malaysian travellers, with many seeking booking options that give them more control before their trips even begin.
Approximately 4% of Malaysia’s top accommodation filter activity is for free cancellation and payment options. This reflects travellers’ continued interest in options that make booking more manageable, which also reduce friction before check-in.
