logo
Malaysia Is 4th Most Popular Asian Destination For European Summer Travellers In 2025

Malaysia Is 4th Most Popular Asian Destination For European Summer Travellers In 2025

Hype Malaysia2 days ago

They dig us, fam! As Europe gears up for its summer holidays, digital travel platform Agoda reveals that Malaysia has retained its position as the 4th most searched Asian destination by European travellers for the second consecutive year.
Thailand, Indonesia, and Japan take the top three spots, with Vietnam making its debut in the top five.
The findings from Agoda's 'Europe to Asia Summer Travel Trends' are based on accommodation searches for travel during July and August, the peak summer months for European travellers.
Among the top destinations, Malaysia saw the largest rise in interest, with a 20% increase in searches compared to last year. China, benefiting from visa waivers that have been introduced for several European markets, recorded a 14% rise, while Sri Lanka experienced a 13% uptick.
France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands remain the top five European markets generating the most searches for travel to Malaysia, with a slight shift in order as Spain moves ahead of the UK compared to last year.
Meanwhile, France (+95%), the Czech Republic (+95%), and Poland (+74%) saw the highest year-on-year growth in searches, reflecting growing interest and Malaysia's rising appeal among European travellers.
Top Searched Destinations In Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Perhentian Islands
Langkawi
Fabian Teja, Country Director for Malaysia and Brunei at Agoda shared, 'Agoda is excited to see Malaysia maintain its strong position as a top summer destination for European travellers. With a 20% rise in searches this year, it's clear that more Europeans are eager to explore all that Malaysia has to offer during their summer holidays.'
As travellers plan their next summer getaways, Agoda remains committed to helping them see the world for less. With over five million holiday properties, 130,000 flight routes, and 300,000 activities available, Agoda offers seamless travel planning and unbeatable deals.
For the best offers, visit Agoda.com or download the Agoda mobile app.
What's your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months
Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months

The Star

time35 minutes ago

  • The Star

Vietnam welcomes 9.2 million international visitors in first five months

International tourists visit Hanoi. - Photo: VNA file HANOI: Vietnam welcomed 9.2 million international arrivals in the first five months of this year, marking a 21.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Office reported on Friday (June 6). Of the total, 7.84 million visitors arrived by air, accounting for 85.2 per cent, followed by 1.18 million arrivals by road and 175,400 by sea. Asia remained the largest source market, contributing over 7.2 million visitors. European arrivals exceeded 1.2 million, while the Americas accounted for more than 496,900 visitors, followed by Oceania and Africa. According to the office, the surge in international arrivals was driven by favourable visa policies, intensified tourism promotion campaigns and celebratory activities marking major national holidays. - Xinhua

Inside Saudi's haj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day
Inside Saudi's haj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day

New Straits Times

time6 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Inside Saudi's haj-only barbershop, shaving thousands of heads in a day

MINA, Saudi Arabia: Near the holy city of Makkah, men in white robes stand quietly in a long queue, waiting for the next important act of their haj pilgrimage: A haircut. Shaving or cutting the hair comes near the end of the haj, and marks the moment when pilgrims can change out of the Ihram clothing that signifies purity and devotion. The barbershop, strategically positioned by the Jamarat complex in Mina, where the "stoning of the devil" ritual took place on Friday, opens exclusively for the annual haj and does a roaring trade. On the pilgrimage's third day, which coincides with the major festival of Eid al-Adha, its barbers typically handle 6,000 customers, said manager Imad Fawzi, an official employed by the haj organisation. Inside, men in plastic aprons wield electric clippers and cut-throat razors, shearing scalps on an industrial scale for 60 riyals (US$13) per head. Despite the rush – there are so many customers that an usher is required – Ahmed, a 28-year-old barber from Egypt, is happy in his work. "This is a very simple thing to do, but it brings us so much joy," he says. "We're happy to serve the pilgrims... and to be able to work in a holy place," he said. Fawzi, who grew up in Makkah, called himself a "child of the haj." "I've been working in haj since I was seven," he says. The once-a-year hairdresser is not the only place for a cut: parts of Makkah and the plain of Mina, on its outskirts, turn into an open-air barbershop at this stage of the haj. Leaving the Jamarat, a southeast Asian man took out a razor and started scraping the back of his head as he walked. Further down the street, a group of African men were shaving each other with clippers. In Makkah, entire streets are lined with barbershops doing brisk business. While men shave their hair, women trim theirs by a fingertip-length. About 1.6 million pilgrims have gathered in and around Makkah, Islam's holiest city, for this year's haj, which all Muslims with the means must complete at least once. Outside the Jamarat barbershop, Hani Abdel Samih is looking forward to changing out of the wrap-around skirt and shawl he has been wearing for the past three days. "The stoning of the devil at Jamarat requires great effort and we've been wearing these clothes all day," he said. "We wanted to wear our everyday clothes and be comfortable, so we went to the nearest barbershop we could find after the Jamarat," said the Egyptian. Yet his face was beaming with joy. He said he did not mind the wait for a haircut that bears a special place in his spiritual journey. "I'm excited, of course! Because this is Sunnah from the Prophet, peace be upon him," he said, referring to the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed. "We like (this ritual) and we cannot break it," he said. The haj retraces the Prophet's last pilgrimage, with rites at Makkah's Grand Mosque and Mount Arafat before "stoning the devil" – throwing pebbles at three giant walls at Jamarat.

Roundup: Europeans turn away from U.S. amid growing anti-American sentiment
Roundup: Europeans turn away from U.S. amid growing anti-American sentiment

The Star

time11 hours ago

  • The Star

Roundup: Europeans turn away from U.S. amid growing anti-American sentiment

LONDON, June 6 (Xinhua) -- While waiting in line outside Rome's iconic Gallery Borghese with his family, Polish tourist Antoni Furman shared why the United States is never on his holiday list. "Europe is much less crowded, and the U.S. tariffs on the European Union affect our pockets," he said. Furman represents a growing number of Europeans opting out of engaging with the United States. A wave of anti-American sentiment is sweeping across the continent, as U.S. policies strain the transatlantic relationship and influence everyday decisions - from travel choices to consumer behavior. Inbound travel to the U.S. is projected to decline by 8.7 percent in 2025, with the sharpest drops expected from Canada and Western Europe, according to Oxford Economics. Data from the U.S. National Travel and Tourism Office revealed that trips from overseas fell by 11.6 percent in March 2025 compared to the previous year. Visits from Western Europe alone plummeted 17.2 percent. Germany, Spain, and Ireland each saw declines exceeding 20 percent, while the United Kingdom and France recorded decreases of around 10 percent. Travel booking platform Omio reported a 16 percent increase in U.S. trip cancellations in the first quarter (Q1) year-on-year, with cancellation rates from the UK, Germany, and France nearing 40 percent. Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics, noted a 10 percent decline in European trip plans to the U.S. for the 2025 summer season. Oxford Economics pointed to several causes for the gloomy tourism outlook: trade tariffs targeting traditional allies, troubling media reports on border security, and controversial travel advisories. Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, criticized the Trump administration's approach, noting that Trump's aggressive rhetoric toward the European Union (EU), Greenland, and Canada are all unforced errors, and have impacts on how people view the U.S. A British woman working in sports echoed this sentiment, saying, "I disagree with many of Trump's policies. The U.S. just doesn't seem like a positive place. I'd rather visit France - and I think most Brits complain about Trump's policies." Avoiding travel is just one of the many ways Europeans are rejecting American influence. From daily household goods to tech and media, European consumers are actively boycotting U.S. brands. In Denmark, a Facebook group titled "Boykot varer fra USA (Boycott goods from USA)" surged to 95,000 members by April. Similar initiatives emerged in Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, and Poland, urging consumers to favor European-made products. On Reddit, around 200,000 members of the BuyFromEU community share alternatives to American brands such as Netflix, McDonald's, and Apple - down to everyday items like socks, ketchup, and headphones. To support the movement, European developers have launched barcode-scanning apps to help consumers identify the country of origin for products. Many supermarkets now feature dedicated sections for European goods, with clear signage highlighting EU-made products. Goldman Sachs analysts warned that the U.S. could lose up to 90 billion U.S. dollars in revenue in 2025 due to declining tourism and mounting international boycotts. The resulting slowdown could modestly drag on the country's GDP, primarily through reduced foreign tourism. Trump has destroyed the reputation of the U.S., said Paul English, co-founder of travel website Kayak. He stressed that the reduction of travels to the U.S. is not only one more terrible blow to the country's economy, but also represents reputation damage that could take generations to repair.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store