With slow travel being one of the most talked about travel trends, Agoda shares the top Asian destinations for slow travel for longer stays
Searches for slow travel have grown threefold in the past five years, according to Google Trends. Slow travel is an approach to travel that encourages travelers to stay longer at their destination, allowing them to create deeper connections with local culture and people, resulting in meaningful travel experiences.
Across eight Asian markets the destinations with the highest average length of stay are Khao Lak in Thailand, Seoul in South Korea, Perhentian Islands in Malaysia, Tokyo in Japan, Siargao Island in the Philippines, Pekanbaru in Indonesia, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, and Ahmedabad in India respectively. Agoda analyzed the travel platform’s booking data from the first three months of 2024 to compile the rank.
In India, Ahmedabad is where travelers are spending the most consecutive time on average, with Goa and Faizabad rounding out the top three. When travelling internationally, travelers from India spend most time exploring Seoul in a quest for a slow travel experience.
Krishna Rathi, Senior Country Director India Subcontinent and Maldives at Agoda shared, “It’s easy to understand why slow travel is one of the most fascinating travel trends right now. In today’s fast-paced world, many travelers will recognize the desire to use their holiday to disconnect from day-to-day life and form a deeper connection with the people and places they visit. It’s something we love to see and encourage at Agoda, as we are passionate about bridging the world through travel. For travelers looking to fully submerge in a holiday destination, whether it’s lazing around in a beach villa or settling in a chic city hotel, the destinations on our slow travel ranking are great places to start.”
Some of the destinations on the list are also well-known favorites for shorter city breaks, but both the rural and urban destinations on the slow travel rank are worth spending an extended amount of time in. From swimming amidst the rich reefs in Perhentian Islands to having a feast in the streets in Ho Chi Minh City, here are some ways for travelers to gain a deeper local experience in these eight destinations.