East Asian cities most popular for Labor Day travel in 2018
East Asian cities Tokyo (#1), Osaka (#3), Hong Kong (#4) and Taipei (#5) make up four of the top five Labor Day weekend destinations for Asian travelers, according to the latest research from global online booking platform agoda.
Labor Day, which falls on Tuesday, 1 May for most regions, is a public holiday associated with the celebration of workers as well as the beginning of spring. Those in Japan and Vietnam also have additional public holidays in the surrounding days—Golden Week and Reunification Day, respectively—and benefit from an even longer break. Many in other Asian regions will take additional leave on the previous Monday to round out their own mega four-day weekend.
May comes with diverse weather conditions in Asia: from pleasant spring weather and blooming landscapes in East Asia to the start of the hostile monsoon season in Southeast Asia. The only Southeast Asian destination to make the top five is Bangkok, which takes the #2 spot. Regardless of what the weather conditions may be, Bangkok offers plenty of indoor attractions, namely shopping, dining and nightlife.
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 3 | Osaka, Japan |
| 4 | Hong Kong |
| 5 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 6 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 7 | Singapore |
| 8 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 9 | Bali, Indonesia |
| 10 | Kyoto, Japan |
TRAVEL DATA BY MARKET:
Hong Kong
When it comes to Labor Day travel, Hong Kongese are obsessed with Japan. More than half of the top ten spots belonging to Japanese destinations, with Tokyo taking the #1 spot. Aside from Japan, Hong Kongese will be taking foreign trips to Seoul (#3) and Bangkok (#5).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 3 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 4 | Osaka, Japan |
| 5 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 6 | Okinawa Main Island, Japan |
| 7 | Fukuoka, Japan |
| 8 | Hong Kong |
| 9 | Sapporo, Japan |
| 10 | Kyoto, Japan |
Indonesia
Indonesians are more inclined to celebrate Labor Day by taking advantage of nearby beaches and busy cities, with local destinations Bali (#1) and Yogyakarta (#2) in the top three.
For those seeking adventure off-shore Tokyo (#2), Singapore (#4) and Kuala Lumpur (#5) are the top international destinations.
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Bali, Indonesia |
| 2 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 3 | Yogyakarta, Indonesia |
| 4 | Singapore |
| 5 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 6 | Bandung, Indonesia |
| 7 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 8 | Jakarta, Indonesia |
| 9 | Hong Kong |
| 10 | Seoul, South Korea |
Japan
For the Japanese, the much-anticipated Golden Week combines several holidays: Showa Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Greenery Day and Labor Day. This year Japanese travelers are taking advantage of the long break by traveling off-shore with seven out of ten of the top ten destinations in foreign countries, with Bangkok stealing the #1 spot.
Those staying locally will be travelling to Tokyo (#3), Osaka (#6) and Kyoto (#10).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 3 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 4 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 5 | Pattaya, Thailand |
| 6 | Osaka, Japan |
| 7 | Hong Kong |
| 8 | Bali, Indonesia |
| 9 | Manila, Philippines |
| 10 | Kyoto, Japan |
Mainland China
This year Hong Kong takes the #1 spot for Labor Day travel. Japan also ranks highly for Chinese travelers during this time with three of the top five spots reserved for Japanese destinations Tokyo (#2), Osaka (#3) and Kyoto (#4).
This doesn’t necessarily mean China’s love affair with Thailand is over – popular destinations Bangkok (#5), Phuket (#6) and Chiang Mai (#7) still make the top ten.
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Hong Kong |
| 2 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 3 | Osaka, Japan |
| 4 | Kyoto, Japan |
| 5 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 6 | Phuket, Thailand |
| 7 | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| 8 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 9 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 10 | Shanghai, China |
Malaysia
Malaysians are more inclined to celebrate Labor Day in their own backyard, with four of the top five spots all local destinations. Malaysians will be taking advantage of nearby cityscapes, beaches and historical culture with Kuala Lumpur (#1), Langkawi (#3) and Malacca (#4) among the most popular local hot spots.
Those traveling abroad will be heading to Bangkok (#2), Seoul (#6) and Taipei (#7).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Kuala Lumpur |
| 2 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 3 | Langkawi |
| 4 | Malacca |
| 5 | Penang |
| 6 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 7 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 8 | Cameron Highlands |
| 9 | Hat Yai, Thailand |
| 10 | Kota Kinabalu |
Philippines
Many Filipinos will be sticking to local destinations this Labor Day with Manila (#1) and Palawan (#2) taking top spots. Those traveling to Manila will likely take advantage of the historical culture, shopping and cityscapes; meanwhile those traveling to Palawan will enjoy the white sand beaches, diverse wildlife and outdoor activities.
Top destinations for those heading abroad include Taipei (#3), Tokyo (#5) and Hong Kong (#6).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Manila, Philippines |
| 2 | Palawan, Philippines |
| 3 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 4 | Cebu, Philippines |
| 5 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 6 | Hong Kong |
| 7 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 8 | Singapore |
| 9 | Osaka, Japan |
| 10 | Iloilo, Philippines |
Singapore
When it comes to Labor Day travel, Singaporeans favor cosmopolitan destinations such as Bangkok (#1), Taipei (#2) and Tokyo (#3)—all known for their culture, dining and shopping experiences.
Those interested in taking beach holidays will be heading to Indonesia with Bali (#8) and Batam (#10) both making the top ten.
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 2 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 3 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 4 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 5 | Hong Kong |
| 6 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| 7 | Singapore |
| 8 | Bali, Indonesia |
| 9 | Johor Bahru, Malaysia |
| 10 | Batam Island, Indonesia |
South Korea
Most South Koreans will be heading abroad this Labor Day with nine of the top ten spots all foreign destinations. Japan is the most popular country by far with four destinations in the top ten: Osaka (#1), Tokyo (#3), Fukuoka (#4) and Okinawa (#7). Spring is one of the best times to visit Japan and coupled with the Sakura (cherry blossom) season, it’s little wonder why South Koreans are flocking over.
Those staying close to home will be heading to the beach resorts and volcanic landscapes of Jeju Island (#2).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Osaka, Japan |
| 2 | Jeju Island, South Korea |
| 3 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 4 | Fukuouka, Japan |
| 5 | Danang, Vietnam |
| 6 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 7 | Okinawa Main Island, Japan |
| 8 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 9 | Cebu, Philippines |
| 10 | Hoi An, Vietnam |
Thailand
The most popular destination for Thais this upcoming Labor Day falls to Tokyo (#1). Thais visiting the Japanese capital will enjoy the shopping, culture and renown Sakura season.
Many Thais will also take advantage of local attractions with five out of the top ten most popular destinations all within Thailand. The cosmopolitan city of Bangkok is the most popular local hot spot at #2, followed up popular beach destinations Pattaya (#3) and Hua Hin (#4).
| Ranking | Destination |
| 1 | Tokyo, Japan |
| 2 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 3 | Pattaya, Thailand |
| 4 | Hua Hin, Thailand |
| 5 | Phuket, Thailand |
| 6 | Seoul, South Korea |
| 7 | Osaka, Japan |
| 8 | Taipei, Taiwan |
| 9 | Chiang Mai, Thailand |
| 10 | Hong Kong |
Vietnam
With Reunification Day and Labor Day taking place back-to-back this year, people in Vietnam will be taking advantage of the mega-long weekend by exploring their homeland – seven of the top ten destinations for this weekend are all local.
The number one spot goes to Danang, the largest town in Central Vietnam. The broad range of stunning beaches, diverse outdoor activities, and rich food culture have made the town popular with Vietnamese travelers for the long weekend. Other top local spots include Dalat (#2), Nha Trang (#3) and Phan Thiet (#4).
Those traveling abroad will be heading to Bangkok (#7), Singapore (#8) and Seoul (#10)
| Rank | Destination |
| 1 | Da Nang, Vietnam |
| 2 | Dalat, Vietnam |
| 3 | Nha Trang, Vietnam |
| 4 | Phan Thiet, Vietnam |
| 5 | Phu Quoc, Vietnam |
| 6 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam |
| 7 | Bangkok, Thailand |
| 8 | Singapore |
| 9 | Vung Tau, Vietnam |
| 10 | Seoul, Korea |
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