By Expedia, on 17 September, 2020

Hong Kong’s summer “dream” destinations revealed by Expedia search

Dreaming of travel destinations remains firmly top-of-mind for vacation-deprived Hong Kongers, despite COVID-19 continuing to hamper current holiday travel plans.

Results of Expedia’s 2019 Vacation Deprivation travel survey* released earlier this year revealed that Hongkongers are amongst the top in Asia in desiring a “Vacation State of Mind”, wishing in an ideal world to take a vacation every three months or so.

So, it’s perhaps not surprising that, despite the current travel restrictions, would-be Hong Kong travellers are continuing to seek out exciting places to experience in the foreseeable future. Of course, Hong Kong staycation searches inevitably top the list with local leisure experiences dominating over the past few months here on our Expedia.com.hk site.

Top 10 Search Destinations by Expedia.com.hk**
1 Hong Kong
2 Taipei
3 Tokyo
4 Bangkok
5 Macau
6 London
7 Osaka
8 Phuket
9 Seoul
10 Maldives

An evening in Tokyo

However, hopeful leisure-destination travellers are also looking longingly further afield, with Tokyo and Taipei each vying for the top out-of-town dream destination in June and August Expedia online searches respectively.

With more positive outlooks for post-COVID recovery, short-haul locations across South East Asia are search hot spots, with Bangkok and Phuket in the Land of Smiles Thailand both featuring in our top ten searches, along with Seoul and Osaka, with nearby Macau as a favoured near neighbour.

Medium and long-haul searches are, of course, in short supply reflecting ongoing COVID-19 conditions in many countries. However, honeymooners’ paradise the Maldives sneaks in at number ten and, most surprisingly, London soaring into the number six search spot—a consequence of the easing of restrictions from Hong Kong into the UK and of course the reluctant end-of-summer vacation dreams for international school returnees!

Travellers should study travel advisories carefully and research both destination and home entry restrictions, which may include pre-travel testing, on-arrival quarantine, changes in visa approval protocols or preclusions on non-essential travel. You can also consult reputable sources, such as the Centre for Health Protection and WHO, and make your own determination about whether travel at this time is right for you. To accommodate potential changes in scheduling, you may filter search results for penalty-free and flexible cancellation policies.

 

*The Expedia Global Vacation Deprivation Survey, conducted among 11,217 respondents across 19 countries.  In Hong Kong, the survey was conducted from a sample of 300 respondents.
**August Hotel Search Destinations – Check-ins between Oct to Dec 2020.