As Lunar New Year celebrations usher in the Year of the Horse, Emirates is marking one of the busiest travel periods across Southeast Asia with a suite of festive onboard experiences and expanded insights into how travellers to and from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam are flying during the holiday period. Lunar New Year remains one of the most significant travel moments in the region, bringing together family reunions, leisure travel and international getaways.
Lunar New Year travel trends across Southeast Asia
Emirates February 2026 booking data highlights the scale and diversity of Lunar New Year travel across the market.
Malaysia
Emirates’ travel booking data for February 2026 indicates that travel to and from Malaysia during the festive period is driven by a combination of family reunions and international leisure travel. Inbound traffic is led by the UK, UAE, Germany and the US, reflecting Malaysia’s strong ties with overseas communities and its appeal as a holiday destination during Lunar New Year.
Inbound travellers are mainly solo (61%) and couples (20%), with families accounting for 10%. Outbound, Malaysian travellers are using the festive break to take longer-distance holidays, with Dubai, Istanbul, Cairo, London and Paris among the top destinations. Outbound traveller profiles remain weighted towards solo travellers (53%) and couples (21%), with groups (14%) and families (10%) also making up a meaningful share.
Lunar New Year is increasingly serving as a launch point for major international trips from Malaysia, reinforcing the importance of long-haul connectivity and premium cabin choice during peak holiday periods.
Thailand
Thailand’s Lunar New Year travel patterns according to Emirates’ travel booking data for February 2026 remain predominantly leisure-led, with inbound demand strongest from Germany, the UK, Russia, France and Hong Kong. This reflects Thailand’s continued appeal as a festive-season escape for international travellers.
Inbound travellers are mainly couples (30%) and solo travellers (45%), with families accounting for 11% and groups 12%, underscoring the holiday’s role as a leisure travel period rather than a family reunion season.
Outbound, Thai travellers are favouring short-haul and regional destinations during the Lunar New Year period, with Hong Kong, Da Nang and Dubai ranking as the most popular. Outbound travel is led by solo travellers (48%) and couples (25%), with groups (15%) and families (9%) making up the remainder. A significant share of trips are taken for weekend breaks or visiting friends and relatives.
For Thai travellers, Lunar New Year functions primarily as a leisure travel window, with strong demand for regional short breaks and selective long-haul trips, driving the need for flexible, high-frequency connectivity.
Vietnam
During Tết, Emirates’ travel booking data for February 2026 shows that Vietnam’s travel patterns are shaped by growing long-haul demand. Inbound travel to Vietnam is led by Germany, Thailand, the UK, the US and Russia. Inbound travellers are predominantly solo (50%) and couples (27%), with families accounting for 8% and groups 11%, highlighting a mix of personal, leisure and reunion-based travel. The data also shows a significant share of visiting friends and relatives (VFR) traffic, underlining the importance of Tết as a time for family reunions.
Outbound, Vietnamese travellers are also using the holiday period for long-haul journeys, with Dubai, Bangkok, London, Paris and Moscow emerging as the most popular destinations.
Tết is no longer only about returning home - it is increasingly becoming a window for Vietnamese travellers to combine family obligations with international travel, driving demand for global connectivity during the peak holiday period.
Festive Lunar New Year experiences onboard Emirates
To celebrate the Year of the Horse, Emirates is offering customers travelling over the Lunar New Year period a range of thoughtfully curated festive experiences both on the ground and in the air. From 17 to 19 February 2026, travellers can enjoy special Lunar New Year-inspired hot meals and desserts in select Emirates lounges in Dubai (DXB), Singapore (SIN), Bangkok (BKK), Beijing (PEK), Shanghai (PVG) and Hong Kong (HKG), where seasonal touches and celebratory flavours reflect the traditions of the season.
In the air, Emirates will bring extra festivity to journeys between 16 and 20 February 2026 on flights serving key Asian markets including China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia, with Lunar New Year-themed desserts and traditional red envelopes presented to guests as a symbol of good fortune.
Customers travelling on Emirates flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur during the Lunar New Year period can look forward to festive onboard treats across all cabin classes. Premium cabin customers will be served a lychee and rose mousse cake with white chocolate, while Economy Class travellers can enjoy a taro coconut sago dessert with sweetened fruits and red beans. In addition, traditional red envelopes filled with chocolate coins will be presented on selected flights as a symbol of good fortune for the year ahead.
Complementing the festive food and service touches, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system, ice, offers customers a rich Lunar New Year viewing and listening experience. Alongside a dedicated Chinese-language collection featuring titles such as "Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants", customers travelling from Malaysia can enjoy a wide selection of movies, TV programmes and music available in Malay - allowing travellers to enjoy familiar stories and sounds throughout their journey.
Connecting Southeast Asia to the world during peak travel periods
With its global network spanning six continents, Emirates continues to play a key role in connecting Southeast Asia with major international destinations during high-demand periods such as Lunar New Year.
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