In Brief: Chiang Mai, Surabaya and Busan lead city-level booking growth, while Japan dominates the world’s autumn foliage spots and Gen Z drives flight bookings
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Asia-Pacific’s Autumn Travel Boom Sees Rising Demand for Emerging Destinations – Image Credit Trip.com
Emerging destinations across Asia-Pacific are seeing strong booking growth this autumn, as travellers explore a wider range of cities across the region. New data from Trip.com Group, a leading global travel service provider, reveals Chiang Mai (+84.3%), Surabaya (+63.1%) and Busan (+62.7%) among the fastest-growing cities, while Japan dominates the world’s autumn foliage spots, securing 11 of the top 12 places.
Emerging Destinations Shine as Chiang Mai Leads Asia-Pacific’s Fastest-Growing Cities
Chiang Mai led city-level booking growth across Asia-Pacific, surging 84.3% year-on-year, followed by Surabaya (+63.1%), Busan (+62.7%), Manila (+55.1%) and Jakarta (+38.1%).
Travellers from Mainland China contributed significantly to this momentum, accounting for much of the bookings across these five cities, with bookings concentrated around affordable, short-haul travel experiences and growing interest in exploring a wider range of destinations.
South Korea Leads Regional Flight Growth, with Busan and Seoul Posting Strong Gains
Demand extended beyond Seoul, with bookings in Busan up 62.7% and Jeju City up 31.4% year-on-year. Seoul maintained its appeal as a major travel hub, recording a further 37.1% increase in the same period, highlighting strong demand across the country’s diverse destinations.
Japan Dominates World’s Top 12 Autumn Foliage Attractions
Japan dominates Trip.Best’s 2026 Global Top 50 Autumn Foliage Attractions, securing 11 of the world’s top 12 spots.
Kyoto’s Arashiyama claimed first place globally, followed by Kiyomizu-dera Temple and Tōfuku-ji Temple. Tokyo’s Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Osaka Castle Park rounded out the top five, highlighting Japan’s appeal for seasonal travel experiences.
Gen Z Is Flying More This Autumn, and Staying Longer Too
Gen Z recorded double-digit year-on-year growth in flight bookings, the strongest of any generation, with Boomers and Gen X also posting double-digit gains. Millennials remained the largest traveller segment, accounting for nearly half of hotel and flight bookings.
Travellers are also spending longer at their destinations, with average hotel stays increasing in Mainland China to slightly over 2 nights. In Mainland China, 62.7% of bookings covered two or more cities, reflecting interest in exploring beyond a single destination.
Autumn Travel Inspiration Surges on Trip.Moments as Trip.com Enhances AI-Powered Discovery
Autumn travel inspiration is gaining momentum on Trip.Moments, Trip.com’s traveller community platform, with autumn-viewing posts surging 203% year-on-year and 242% month-on-month to 2,497 in September. Engagement also climbed, with comments rising 616% year-on-year and 1,404% month-on-month to 12,457. Interest continued into October, with daily comments peaking at 1,415 on 6 October, reflecting sustained enthusiasm for discovering and sharing seasonal travel experiences.
As travellers increasingly turn to digital platforms for inspiration, Trip.com is enhancing the journey from discovery to booking with its AI-powered Trip Discovery Agent. Rolling out in stages, the feature helps travellers discover and compare destinations, whether they are exploring new ideas or narrowing down their choices. Initially available in English and Traditional Chinese, it can be accessed by pulling down on the Home or Trips page of the Trip.com app.