“Night tourism,” also known as the “night economy,” is a hot topic in China and Northeast Asia.
Destinations are seeking to correct a shortfall of leisure
spending at night compared to the daytime.
In Taiwan, Klook launched a digital pass for visitors
to earn discounts while exploring Taipei's night street food markets and
sampling local dishes. Looking ahead, night tourism, in addition to two more
key trends, might play a key role in the future of the
Northeast Asia travel market.
Northeast
Asia is a region of highly differentiated yet closely linked markets. Throughout 2023, airlines increased
capacity and flight frequencies between Northeast Asian and Southeast Asian
markets, which had decoupled during the pandemic.
According to Phocuswright’s research report Northeast
Asia Travel Market Report 2023-2026, all carriers
prioritized restoring services to/from Chinese first- and second-tier cities
and connectivity with Japan. Longer-haul capacity, particularly with the U.S. and
European markets, has also stepped up.
Optimism is
returning, although the region is characterized by uneven recovery rates and,
in the cases of South Korea and Taiwan, more residents traveling overseas than
inbound arrivals. Consequently, the outlook for 2024 is mixed.
Looking ahead, here are three key trends to note for the
Northeast Asia travel market:
- Competitive scramble
for Chinese travelers
Chinese tourists and business travelers dominate Northeast Asia's travel landscape. Since Chinese visitor volumes in 2023 fell below expectations, regional airlines are seeking access to Chinese tier-2 airports to broaden the base for tourism board marketing and expand the scope for outbound business and leisure travel. 2024 will witness a scramble across Asia Pacific to entice more visitors from the world's largest outbound market. - Potential for
geopolitical flashpoints
With maritime confrontations in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, Taiwan’s 2024 elections and threats from North Korea, unpredictable security flashpoints entangle nations across Northeast and Southeast Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. - Staying
awake for night tourism
Night Tourism, also known as the Night Economy, is a hot topic in China and Northeast Asia. Destinations are seeking to correct a shortfall of leisure spending at night compared to the daytime. In Taiwan, Klook launched a digital pass for visitors to earn discounts while exploring Taipei's night street food markets and sampling local dishes.Learn more!Phocuswright’s Northeast Asia Travel Market Report 2022-2026 provides a comprehensive view of the Northeast Asia (South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau) travel market, including detailed market sizing and projections, distribution trends, analysis of major travel segments, key developments and more.