Three-fifths of travelers are ready and willing to pack their bags and head on a trip according to the GoLocal Travel survey for digital travel platform Agoda, with travelers in Vietnam (87%), Indonesia (78%) and Taiwan (59%) leading the pack.

Travel has become an indispensable part of life for many, and people are keen to get back to it. But there are some changes to where and how people are traveling. Agoda’s GoLocal survey reveals a shift from international to domestic travel as borders remain closed for many countries, yet the urge to travel continues.

Overall, 65% of travelers would like to take domestic trips in the next 12 months, while 35% would want to travel internationally. When it comes to domestic travel intent, the top three contenders most keen to do so are Thailand (78%), Indonesia (76%), and the USA at 74%, while travelers from Taiwan (51%), South Korea (45%), and Saudi Arabia (43%) are more open to traveling internationally.

Travel Distances

In this new world of travel, the majority (46%) of travelers are most comfortable traveling a maximum of three to four hours, with almost two-thirds of Koreans being comfortable with this distance, and 57% of travelers from Taiwan.

Meanwhile globally, over a quarter of travelers are most comfortable only traveling two hours or less, this rises to over a third (36%) for Thai and Indonesian travelers. In the US and Taiwan a mere 14% and 15% would be comfortable traveling up to two hours, with travelers from these markets the first and third most likely to be comfortable to travel five to eight hours too (25% US, 22% Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 19% Taiwan).

Unsurprisingly given its vastness, Aussie travelers were most likely to be comfortable traveling over eight hours to their destination. Self-Driving is the transport of choice for 28% of travelers globally, with flights leading the way with 57% of travelers preferring air travel.

Go Local and Explore

Despite the lockdown or maybe because of it, travelers are mostly looking for ‘Quiet and Relaxing,’ ‘Food & Drinks’ and ‘Famous Attractions’ for their next adventure. That might explain the trend for people to be more interested in traveling to beach destinations (37%), followed by countryside nature at 30%, with cities still an attraction for 16% of travelers.

South Koreans (34%), Thai and Taiwanese travelers (30%) were most excited to travel for some peace and quiet. While Shopping ranked low at less than one in 10 for global travelers’ priorities, this rises to one in five for travelers from Saudi Arabia who are looking for retail therapy on their next trip.

“The appetite for travel has not diminished, in fact it has become stronger. Domestic travel now tops the list, with more people keen to explore their own region or country, staying local, and taking trips with traveling distances of less than four hours,” said Errol Cooke, Agoda’s Vice President of Partner Services.

“Cities will need to do more to attract the domestic traveler to fill the gap left by international travelers who spend most of their time in gateway destinations. By contrast, there is an opportunity for more regional destinations with great beaches or access to nature and the open countryside to benefit from this growing travel trend, and for travelers to these destinations to help support local communities impacted by recent travel restrictions.

“Our GoLocal campaign gives keen travelers an opportunity to discover treasures closer to home at even more compelling prices than usual. Whether it is enjoying waves against your feet, getting lost in nature or café-hopping across urban cityscapes you seek, Agoda has got you covered” continued Errol Cooke.

Stay Preferences

What is not to love about a little pampering while away? Four and Five-star hotels top the list of accommodation options for next trips, followed by Resorts. Meanwhile the most popular facilities traveler are looking for are in-house entertainment, private kitchens and pool facilities are top priorities, reflecting social distancing trends.

The Agoda GoLocal Survey was commissioned as part of Agoda’s GoLocal campaign to support domestic and local tourism by encouraging travelers to safely explore their own back yard. Agoda.com/golocal offers fabulous discounts of up to 25% off accommodation across markets globally.

Country breakdown:

Taiwan:

• The most popular destination intent/choices for travelers from Taiwan are Hualien, Kenting, and Taipei. Japan was the top international destination choice for Taiwanese travelers.
• 59% most likely to travel overall and have the highest intent to travel internationally compared to other countries at 51% versus 35% globally.
• 57% of Taiwanese travelers are most comfortable to travel within a three to four hours distance, second highest after South Koreans. Half of Taiwanese travelers surveyed, will choose flights followed by self-drive, which three in 10 travelers prefer.
• In line with the popularity of hiking spots in Taiwan, 35% of Taiwanese choose ‘Nature’ as their most preferred type of destination to travel to, the only market where beach didn’t come top.
• Beaches are the second most preferred destinations (24%), closely followed by Cities at 22% (the second highest after the USA – 23%). Good time to visit Fuguijiao, the northernmost tip of Taiwan.
• Only a quarter of Taiwanese travelers would prefer the beach, compared to the global average of 37%.

South Korea:

• The most popular destinations Korean travelers plan to head to are Jeju island, Seoul and Busan. 47% of Koreans are keen to travel, versus 58% global average.
• 63% of Korean travellers are most comfortable traveling up to three to four hours, highest from all countries surveyed, with two hours or less being the second choice for Korean travelers. 56% of Korean travelers choose flights as their most preferred form of transportation, followed by self-drive at 30%.
• 38% of Korean travelers choose Beach as their biggest reason to travel, followed by Nature at 33%, in sync with the global average. Might be time to find your trekking pole and hike Songnisan for a breath of fresh air.

Indonesia:

• 78% Indonesians are ready to travel.
• The most popular domestic destinations Indonesian travelers want to head to is Bali.
• 44% of Indonesian travelers are most comfortable traveling up to three to four hours, with two hours or less being the second choice for Indonesian travelers.
• In line with global figures, 57% of Indonesian travelers choose flights as their preferred form of transportation, followed by self-drive at 24%.
• 39% of Indonesian travelers chose Beach as their biggest reason to travel, followed by Nature at 28%, in sync with the global average.

Thailand:

• Half of Thai respondents are ready to travel, slightly below global average at 58%.
• The most popular destinations for next trips for travelers in Thailand are Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Hua Hin.
• 41% of Thai travelers are comfortable traveling up to three to four hours, with 36% preferring two hours or less, the highest globally.
• 50% select flights as their most preferred form of transportation, with self-drive at 41% the highest among all markets surveyed, almost double the global average of 24%.
• 38% of Thai travelers chose Beach as their most popular destination type to travel, followed by Nature at 36%.

Australia:

• 47% of Australians are keen to travel again, compared to 58% globally.
• The most popular destinations for travelers in Australia are Melbourne, Sydney, and the Gold Coast. Top international regions include South East Asia, Europe, and East Asia. New Zealand was also on the lists of some travelers from Australia.
• 39% of Australian travelers are comfortable traveling up to three to four hours. Interestingly, Australians are the most comfortable traveling above eight hours at 23% compared to 11% global average.
• 57% select flights as their most preferred form of transportation, followed by Self-drive at 32%.
• 34% of Australian travelers chose Beach as their most favoured destination type, followed by Nature at 24%, lower than the global average.

Vietnam:

• 87% of Vietnamese travelers are looking to travel, with the highest intent across all markets surveyed.
• The most popular intented destinations for travelers in Vietnam are Da Nang, Dalat, and Nha Trang.
• 71% of Vietnamese travelers are comfortable traveling up to three to four hours, 71% preferring flights as their most preferred form of transportation, significantly higher than their global counterparts (57%). Self-drive and domestic bus follow at 12%.
• 42% of Vietnamese travelers chose the Beach as their preferred destination type, the highest among markets surveyed. Nature trips followed at 37%.

Saudi Arabia:

• 44% of travelers from Saudi Arabia are keen to travel.
• The most popular domestic destination for travelers from Saudi Arabia was Mecca, Riyadh and Jeddah. When it came to international travel travelers from Arabia most prefer to go to neighbouring countries like Egypt and UAE.
• 39% of travelers from Saudi Arabia are most keen to travel three to four hours away. While 27% were comfortable traveling two hours or less. Travelers from Saudi Arabia most prefer to travel by flights (65%), second biggest group choosing Self-drive at 24%, followed by bus/train at 4%.
• 41% of travelers most prefer to go to the Beach, while 26% want to spend more time in Nature.

United States:

• 52% of travelers from USA are keen to travel in the next 12 months.
• The most popular domestic destination for US travelers was New York, Orlando and Los Angeles.
• 48% of travelers from USA are most keen to travel three to four hours away. While 25% were comfortable traveling five to eight hours, the highest market will to travel this distance.
• Travelers from USA most prefer to travel by flights (51%), second biggest group choosing Self-drive at 32%, followed by train at 8%.
• 36% of travelers most prefer to go to the Beach, while 23% want to spend more time in Cities.

If you always have Hollywood Boulevard on your bucket list, now might good time to visit.