SINGAPORE, November 13, 2026 — Agoda has released its 2027 Asia Travel Pulse, showing that 61 percent of surveyed Asian travelers are open to booking an entire trip on a single platform. The study also found that the factors driving that decision vary significantly across the region.
From Southeast Asian Startup to Regional Platform
Agoda was co-founded in 2005 by American school friends Michael Kenny and Robert Rosenstein in Phuket, Thailand. The company grew from a regional lodging specialist into a broader travel platform. In 2007, it was acquired by Booking Holdings, then known as The Priceline Group. Over the following years, Agoda expanded its inventory to include flights, ground transportation, and activities. By January 2026, the platform had partnered with Mastercard to enable bookings through loyalty programmes.
How the All-in-One Model Works
The platform now integrates lodging, flights, ground transport, and activities into a single booking flow. It supports close to 100 alternative payment options and operates in 39 languages, most of them Asian. This infrastructure allows travelers to search, compare, pay, and manage a trip without leaving the site, while giving accommodation partners a single channel to reach diverse source markets.
What the Numbers Show
The 2027 Asia Travel Pulse surveyed travelers across the region. Beyond the 61 percent open to a full-trip booking, 27 percent said they preferred bundling only flights and hotels, while 16 percent said their preference depended on the specific trip.
Localization emerged as the decisive factor. Local payment methods were cited by 33 percent of respondents as the strongest indicator of a relevant booking experience, followed by native-language customer support at 21 percent. The weight of these factors shifted by market. Local payment options carried the most weight in Malaysia at 46 percent, Indonesia at 41 percent, and the Philippines at 39 percent. Native-language support ranked highest in South Korea at 40 percent and Japan at 31 percent.
The study also mapped the starting point of trip planning. Across Asia, 64 percent of travelers began by choosing a destination, compared with 14 percent who started with accommodation. In Indonesia and Thailand, 24 percent began with where they would stay, well above the regional average. Indonesian travelers were also the most deal-driven, with 17 percent starting their search with a promotion.
What It Means for the Market Now
The findings suggest that a single platform strategy only succeeds if it adapts to local expectations at the payment and support level. Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President of Supply at Agoda, said the path to a booking looks different in Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, and Jakarta. For accommodation partners, property content such as breakfast options, room configurations, transport links, and nearby entertainment can influence travelers earlier in the planning cycle, especially in markets where accommodation is the starting point. Agoda currently offers accommodation, flights, and activities through its platform, supporting nearly 100 alternative payment options and operating in 39 languages.
Sources
- Agoda
- Luxury, Your Way: Agoda Explores How the Stay Can Shape the Trip
- Agoda advances sustainable IT infrastructure | NTT DATA
- Agoda's 2027 Asia Travel Pulse reveals appetite for all-in-one booking
- Agoda study finds growing interest in all-in-one travel bookings across Asia | TTG Asia
- Agoda Expands AI Assistant to 21 Markets
Photo: Paige Cody / Unsplash (Unsplash License)
