Agoda, the digital travel platform headquartered in Singapore, has released first-half 2026 data showing increased interest in intra-regional travel across Southeast Asia. The company said Vietnam recorded the strongest growth in accommodation search interest from every other market in the region.
Search interest in Vietnam rose 52% from Singapore, 40% from Malaysia, 24% from Thailand, 22% from Laos, 22% from Cambodia, 20% from Indonesia and 98% from the Philippines. Agoda’s flight booking data showed a similar pattern, with Vietnam appearing among the Philippines’ top five outbound destinations for the first time, in third place.
Agoda attributed Vietnam’s growing appeal to expanding visa-free access, longer stay durations and increased flight connectivity.
Barriers and behaviour
Andrew Smith, senior vice president of supply at Agoda, discussed what the shift signals about traveller behaviour.
“The first half of 2026 had its complexities, but what we saw is that travellers don’t stop wanting to travel,” Smith said. “They tend to shift toward destinations that are closer and easier to get to instead. Vietnam’s growth within the region tells us that travellers respond decisively when you remove friction and lower the travel barriers.”
Agoda also reported growing interest in Malaysia, particularly from Cambodia, where accommodation searches rose 24%. Flight data showed Malaysia climbing from third to second place among Cambodia’s outbound destinations, which Agoda linked to Tourism Malaysia’s promotional activity in Cambodia under its Visit Malaysia 2026 campaign.
Search interest in Indonesia grew among neighbouring markets as well, climbing to second place in Malaysia and third in Singapore, up 18% and 17% respectively. Agoda said the findings, combined with demand for accommodation priced below 50 US dollars a night, point to both discovery and value as drivers of regional travel.
Short trips, closer destinations
Agoda’s traveller survey found nearly a third of respondents plan to take short trips of one to three days in 2026, a pattern the company said suits Southeast Asia’s proximity. The H1 2026 booking data reinforces that trend, Agoda said, alongside its partnership with the Asean Secretariat and AirAsia MOVE on a campaign launched in August 2026 to encourage Southeast Asians to explore their own region.
Smith said shorter trips change how people travel.
“When planning a three-day getaway instead of a two-week vacation, travellers can travel more frequently, explore more destinations, and stay flexible with their budgets,” Smith said. “Southeast Asia is well-positioned to capture this shift, with destinations close together and well-connected for more frequent, seamless travel.”
