What destinations are trending for New Year? Agoda shares where independent travelers are headed

SINGAPORE,Dec. 26,2018 -- Tokyo,Paris and New York City are the top destinations to ring in 2019 according to Agoda,one of the world's fastest growing online travel agents (OTA),with more than a third more people opting to getaway to celebrate on New Year's Eve (NYE).

A top ten NYE destination for many markets globally and number one for Chinese and Singaporean travelers,Tokyo's appeal continues with a jam-packed itinerary of concerts,parades and light shows making it the perfect destination to cast off the old and welcome in the New Year.

It's no wonder Paris,boasting endless themed parties,New Year countdowns at popular landmarks and shows for the whole family,has secured the top spot for NYE travel in Europe. The "City of Love" is a top ten for their British neighbors as well as travelers from Israel,Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The ball drop at Times Square in New York City is one of the most iconic and star-driven celebrations of NYE in the world,so it comes as no surprise that New York City is the top North American destination for travelers globally and number two for Americans traveling domestically for NYE.

Agoda's Top 2018 NYE Destinations (31 December 2018)

Asia

Europe

North America

1

Tokyo

Paris

New York City (NY)

2

Bangkok

London

Las Vegas (NV)

3

Taipei

Barcelona

Los Angeles (CA)

4

Seoul

Rome

Orlando (FL)

5

Osaka

Berlin

Oahu (HI)

6

Pattaya

Amsterdam

San Francisco (CA)

7

Taichung

Istanbul

Chicago (IL)

8

Hong Kong

Prague

New Orleans (LA)

9

Bali

Madrid

Miami (FL)

10

Chiang Mai

Milan

Toronto

NYE destination data for British travelers:

Brits are looking to ring in the New Year in a more tropical climate as popular beach destinations Pattaya (#1),Phuket (#4),Koh Samui (#7),Bali (#8) and Krabi (#10) make up half of the top ten NYE destinations.

The "Land of Smiles" is the most popular country overall,with five out of the top ten destinations all based in Thailand.

Dubai has jumped to fifth most popular NYE destination for 2018,from ninth in 2016.

Those staying in Europe are heading to London (#2),Paris (#6) or Amsterdam (#9).

Agoda's Top 2018 NYE Destinations for British travelers (31 December 2018)

2016

2017

2018

1

Pattaya

London

Pattaya

2

London

Pattaya

London

3

Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok

4

Phuket

Phuket

Phuket

5

Koh Samui

Koh Samui

Dubai

6

Bali

Bali

Paris

7

Koh Phangan

Paris

Koh Samui

8

Berlin

Dubai

Bali

9

Dubai

Berlin

Amsterdam

10

Koh Phi Phi

Edinburgh

Krabi

Notes to Editors:

Read the global press release here: https://www.agoda.com/press/nye-2018

About the data:Agoda booking data was collated on 10 December 2018 for NYE bookings in 2016,2017 and 2018.

About Agoda

Agoda is one of the world's fastest growing online travel booking platforms. From its beginnings as an e-commerce start-up based in Singapore in 2005,Agoda has grown to offer a global network of 2 million properties in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide,offering travelers easy access to a wide choice of luxury and budget hotels,apartments,homes and villas to suit all budgets and travel occasions.

Headquartered in Singapore,Agoda is part of Booking Holdings (Nasdaq: BKNG) and employs more than 3,700 staff across 53 cities in more than 30 countries. Agoda.com and the Agoda mobile app are available in 38 languages.

For more information,please contact press@agoda.com.

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