Where to go for New Year's 2018? Booking site stats show solo bookings up 30%, with most from Osaka

▲Universal Studios Japan's Universal Countdown Party. (Photo / Provided by Universal Studios Japan)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

The booking platform dubbed the "Taiwanese version of Airbnb," "AsiaYo," analyzed nearly 5,000 New Year's Eve booking records at the end of this year and found that the proportion of Taiwanese travelers going solo for New Year’s has significantly increased, indicating that carefree backpacking trips have gradually become a trend. The statistics also show that the top three international destinations for New Year’s bookings are Osaka, Tokyo, and Seoul in Japan.

The following is the New Year's 2018 booking analysis released by the booking site:

Solo New Year’s travel sees 30% increase in proportion
Spontaneous solo mini-trips are becoming an increasingly notable travel trend during the New Year holiday

Osaka tops international New Year’s bookings
This year, the ratio of travelers going abroad for New Year’s versus those traveling domestically is approximately 4:6. The top international cities for New Year’s travel are Osaka, Tokyo, and Seoul. Osaka bookings are concentrated around Universal Studios, Tokyo bookings are mostly near Disneyland, and in Korea, accommodations around N Seoul Tower dominate, showing that Taiwanese travelers abroad for New Year’s still primarily seek local fireworks and countdown parties.

Domestically, mixed-dorm hostels, bar-style homestays, and entire-home rentals are most popular
According to the booking site’s statistics, excluding Taipei, the most popular domestic travel cities are Tainan, Yilan, and Hualien. The top booking type is design hotels and youth hostels that allow mixed-dorm stays, followed by homestays with a bar atmosphere, and third are accommodations offering entire-home rental services.

Japanese second-tier city hidden hot spring retreats and Korean traditional ondol hanok gain favor
Avoiding the bustling New Year’s activities such as city fireworks and temple bell-ringing, second-tier Japanese cities’ hot spring lodgings and traditional Korean hanok with ondol heating systems are gaining unexpected popularity among travelers.