One may think travelling to China during the Chinese New Year (CNY) is a bad idea because of possible closures, crowds and higher costs involved, but it appears that for some Singaporeans, it's an opportunity to experience a truly wintry new year, where gathering around a bubbling hotpot would actually be a welcome affair.
A report by Shin Min Daily News on Wednesday (Jan 8) highlighted China's northeastern city of Harbin as one popular destination for those looking to "escape" and skip the CNY festivities, with tour packages from agencies selling out as far back as three months ago.
Other sought-after destinations according to agencies here include temperate countries such as Japan, South Korea and Europe.
When interviewed, a spokesperson from EU Holidays shared that the number of tour bookings to China have increased by 20 to 30 per cent this year, with Harbin one of the most popular destinations.
"Harbin in winter is particularly attractive to tourists as there are many special attractions where tourists can experience the season, including the Harbin Ice and Snow World. Through tour groups, they can also participate in some local celebrations and feel the New Year atmosphere," she said.
European cities in Italy, Switzerland as well as the French capital of Paris also see high demand, accounting for at least 60 per cent of the agency's tours to the continent. Finland is another popular destination as well due to the northern lights, she said.
A spokesperson from WTS Travel whom Shin Min spoke to corroborated this observation, with the agency also seeing travel bookings to Harbin, located in Heilongjiang province, filling up around two to three months ago.
The spokesperson added that the typical duration of the packages ranged for about a week. "Singaporeans like to go to areas that have snow and have cold weather, so places such as Hokkaido in Japan with opportunities for skiing are popular. South Korea and Taiwan are also among their favourite destinations," she said.
According to Shin Min and CNA, some agencies also shared that as CNY this year falls close to the 2024 year-end holidays, many would be hesitant to travel twice within such a short period.
In a separate interview with CNA published on Jan 1, EU Holidays stated that it had seen a slight dip in bookings compared to last year for this reason.
They also noted that travel to China during the festive season would have certain downsides, such as traffic congestion, restaurants being more expensive and large crowds at places of interest.
However, it seems clear Singaporeans are always up for a holiday, especially when it coincides with a long weekend (by taking one day's leave).
In a call put to local travel agency WTS' hotline by AsiaOne, we were told that all tour packages during the CNY period are already fully booked.
Tan Jie Ni, Marketing Communications Executive for Chan Brothers Travel, also shared with AsiaOne that while there are still some seats available for selected popular destinations — Europe, Japan and China among them — they anticipate that those seats will be booked out by the end of the week.
Cruises, too, seem to be another popular way for Singaporeans to enjoy the CNY holiday, as noted by Chan Brothers and Shin Min.
In an interview with the Chinese evening daily, Resorts World Cruises' president Michael Goh said demand for packages on their Genting Dream cruise line during the CNY period has seen a steady increase year on year.
And this year appears to be no different, with its three-night cruise to Penang and Kuala Lumpur on the eve of CNY almost sold out. He also observed that more young couples and families, including multigenerational families, are choosing cruises as their top CNY holiday choice.
candicecai@asiaone.com