TripAdvisor Prices Out Travel to Asia's Most Popular Destinations for U.S. Travelers

Average Cost of a One-Week Trip to Asia Down 12 Percent, According to TripAdvisor Hotel and Flights Data

TripIndex Shows Jakarta, Indonesia and Hanoi, Vietnam Offer Best Value

NEEDHAM, Mass., November 3, 2015 – TripAdvisor ^®, the world’s largest travel site*, today announced the results of its TripIndex™ Asia, revealing that travel expenses for popular Asian destinations have decreased an average of 12 percent year-over-year, with travelers able to save as much as 32 percent on a trip to the Far East during the next six months.

The TripIndex helps U.S. travelers identify which destinations offer the best value by comparing the price of a one-week trip to 20 Asian cities between November 1, 2015 and April 30, 2016, when travelers will enjoy optimal weather in these predominantly warm climates. The TripIndex evaluates primary travel expenses, including a seven-night hotel stay and average round-trip airfare from the continental U.S., as well as a year-over-year comparison of overall costs.

“Asia has always piqued the interest of Americans for its rich history and exotic appeal, and now with the cost of travel down 12 percent to popular Asian destinations, it’s a great time to book,” said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications for TripAdvisor. “Asia consistently provides outstanding accommodation value and this year U.S. travelers can also take advantage of significantly lower airfares, so winter is a great time for Americans to explore the Far East, with both the weather and prices more moderate.”

Warm Weather Escapes for Less

The average cost of a one-week trip this winter has dropped in 18 of the 20 Asian destinations included in the TripIndex by an average of 12 percent year-over-year.

Jakarta, Indonesia is the most affordable destination on the TripIndex with a total price tag of $1,343 for a one week trip, down 32 percent year-over-year. Hanoi is the next best value at $1,366 for a week-long visit, a 22 percent savings.

As Vietnam is home to two of the top three most affordable destinations on the index—Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City—travelers can save an average of 18 percent in these cities, as the total year-over-year cost of a weeklong trip has dropped $383 and $206, respectively.

Three of the top 10 destinations for best value included in the study are in Thailand, with Chiang Mai providing the lowest cost in the country, as the total price of the trip is $1,577 down 21 percent year-over-year, followed by Bangkok at $1,680 (-9% YoY) and Kathu with a total price tag of $1,902 (-20% YoY).

The most expensive destination on the TripIndex is Hong Kong, China with a one-week trip costing $2,590; while average hotel rates there are down eight percent, airfare is up six percent.

Valuable Accommodations

The average nightly rate for a hotel stay in Asia booked on TripAdvisor for the upcoming travel season is $94, compared to $102 last year.

Kuala Lumpur offers the most affordable hotel rooms offering an average nightly rate of $49, a 26 percent drop from 2014. Seminyak, in Bali, Indonesia is the highest at $173 per night; however it still offers a relative value as prices have fallen 16 percent year-over-year.

Travelers can also take advantage of lower hotel rates in Seoul, South Korea as the average has dropped 19 percent to $108 per night.

Savings in the Skies

Roundtrip airfare from the U.S. to the destinations on the index cost $1,287 on average between November and April, compared to $1,488 during the same time last year, presenting a savings of 14 percent year-over-year.

Jakarta, the most affordable destination, saw the largest year-over-year dip in airfare—from $1,501 to $941—a savings of 37 percent. Siem Reap, Cambodia has also seen a significant drop in airfare, with a 31 percent decline compared to 2014.

Three destinations—Hanoi, Vietnam, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Singapore—have all seen a 27 percent decrease in average roundtrip airfare year-over-year driving total trip costs down an average of 21 percent.

TripIndex Asia: Avg. Cost of a One-Week Trip and YoY Cost Comparison

Destination	Average Nightly		Average Roundtrip Airfare		Cost For a		YOY Trip Cost
Destination	Hotel Rate		Average Roundtrip Airfare		One-Week Trip		YOY Trip Cost
	2014	2015	2014	2015	2014	2015
Jakarta, Indonesia	$69.73	$57.50	$1,501.45	$940.52	$1,989.56	$1,343.02	-32%
Hanoi, Vietnam	$51.01	$50.01	$1,391.81	$1,016.17	$1,748.88	$1,366.24	-22%
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	$56.07	$56.12	$1,247.47	$1,041.22	$1,639.96	$1,434.06	-13%
Chiang Mai, Thailand	$65.11	$62.77	$1,550.33	$1,137.67	$2,006.10	$1,577.06	-21%
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	$66.13	$48.73	$1,688.20	$1,248.34	$2,151.11	$1,589.45	-26%
Shanghai, China	$83.63	$81.79	$1,322.31	$1,093.31	$1,907.72	$1,665.84	-13%
Bangkok, Thailand	$71.16	$67.38	$1,342.06	$1,208.49	$1,840.18	$1,680.15	-9%
New Delhi, India	$62.76	$60.69	$1,362.40	$1,452.35	$1,801.72	$1,877.18	+4%
Siem Reap, Cambodia	$100.28	$96.79	$1,762.83	$1,217.92	$2,464.79	$1,895.45	-23%
Kathu, Thailand	$108.91	$89.60	$1,612.41	$1,274.80	$2,374.78	$1,902.00	-20%
Beijing, China	$90.08	$84.21	$1,222.81	$1,362.57	$1,853.37	$1,952.04	+5%
Mumbai (Bombay), India	$87.24	$87.08	$1,369.16	$1,358.26	$1,979.84	$1,967.82	-1%
Taipei, Taiwan	$145.35	$129.02	$1,382.12	$1,171.29	$2,399.57	$2,074.43	-14%
Seoul, South Korea	$133.77	$108.09	$1,277.39	$1,350.09	$2,213.78	$2,106.72	-5%
Bengaluru (Bangalore), India	$61.36	$59.59	$1,785.13	$1,787.46	$2,214.65	$2,204.59	-<1%
Singapore	$166.53	$144.62	$1,735.04	$1,266.65	$2,900.75	$2,278.99	-21%
Osaka, Japan	$108.20	$129.53	$1,617.88	$1,459.59	$2,375.28	$2,366.30	-<1%
Tokyo, Japan	$131.82	$133.41	$1,605.70	$1,489.74	$2,528.44	$2,423.61	-4%
Seminyak, Indonesia	$204.86	$172.75	$1,548.66	$1,347.19	$2,982.68	$2,556.44	-14%
Hong Kong, China	$166.78	$152.64	$1,442.12	$1,521.89	$2,609.58	$2,590.37	-1%

Notes to editors:

TripIndex Asia looks at 20 popular Asian destinations, based on traffic on TripAdvisor from U.S. travelers, limited to three per country, one per province.

Hotels: Hotel prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average cost of a seven night stay in a hotel bookable on TripAdvisor, aggregated from hundreds of booking partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers. Pricing information was sourced for the travel period of November 1, 2015-April 30, 2016.

Flights: Flight prices included in the TripIndex reflect the average roundtrip airfare from the continental U.S. to each destination’s main airport. Pricing information was sourced using TripAdvisor Flights and is accurate of fares found between October 22-27, 2015 for flights departing and returning between November 1, 2015 and April 30, 2016. Winter 2014 flight prices reflect fares for flights departing and returning between November 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015. National average prices are based on fares from the top 20 busiest U.S. airports: ATL, BOS, CLT, DEN, DFW, DTW, EWR, IAH, JFK, LAS, LAX, LGA, MCO, MIA, MSP, ORD, PHL, PHX, SEA, and SFO.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travelers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find the best hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 375 million unique monthly visitors**, and more than 250 million reviews and opinions covering 5.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 47 countries worldwide.

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*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, July 2015

**Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique users, Q2 2015