A traveller enjoys stunning views of Halong Bay in Vietnam, in Southeast Asia.Travellers across Southeast Asia are increasingly opting for closer destinations, with Vietnam becoming the region's most popular choice in the first half of 2026, according to Agoda. The digital travel platform reported a significant rise in accommodation search interest for Vietnam from all Southeast Asian markets, notably a 98% increase from the Philippines. This trend is attributed to expanding visa-free access, longer stays, and improved flight connectivity.
Vietnam's appeal is further highlighted by its debut as the third most popular outbound destination for Filipino travellers. Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply at Agoda, noted, “The first half of 2026 had its complexities, but what we saw is that travellers don’t stop wanting to travel. They tend to shift towards destinations that are closer and easier to get to instead.”
Malaysia and Indonesia also saw increased interest. Malaysia climbed to second place among Cambodia's outbound flight destinations, with a 24% rise in search interest. Indonesia's appeal grew with an 18% increase from Malaysia and 17% from Singapore, driven by demand for affordable stays.
Agoda's data indicates a trend towards short trips, with nearly a third of surveyed travellers planning getaways of one to three days. The platform's collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat on the ‘SEABlings: Closer Than You Think’ campaign aims to inspire more regional exploration.
Travellers can explore a wide range of options on Agoda's platform, which offers a network of over 130,000 flight routes and more than 6 million holiday properties.
This story was selected and published by a human editor, with content adapted from original press material using AI tools and checked by the editor before publication. Spot an error? Report it here.
