Shanghai, Kuala Lumpur surge in popularity as holiday spots for Singapore families, data shows

The June school holidays are nearly upon us, and many Singaporeans have been planning family trips.

According to search data from travel platform Booking.com, families in Singapore are showing an interest in destinations closer to home, such as China's Shanghai and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur.

There was an overall increase in searches made by Singaporean travellers for these cities, with check-in dates from May 30 to Jun 28, 2026.

Shanghai climbed the ranks from ninth to fourth place while KL rose to number eight from 13.

There was a 66.5 per cent year-on-year increase in searches for Shanghai between July 1, 2025 and Feb 28, 2026 and a 45.0 per cent year-on-year rise for KL during the same period.

This means that some families are opting for shorter, convenient getaways during the school break, and reflects growing interest in major Asian cities offering culture, dining and urban exploration, noted Booking.com.

While Japan remains a popular travel destination for Singaporean families, there has been a dip in searches for Tokyo and Osaka, the data showed.

Tokyo retained its top spot as the most searched city despite the decline, but Osaka slid from number two to number three on the list.

Sapporo, on the other hand, gained popularity with 38.8 per cent more searches year-on-year between July 1, 2025 and Feb 28, 2026, for check-in dates from May 30 to Jun 28, 2026.

Other holiday destinations popular with families in Singapore for the June school holidays are Seoul, Bangkok, Perth and London, according to the travel platform.

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Addressing the shift in recent booking data, Anthony Lu, Booking.com's regional director for South East Asia and Greater China, told AsiaOne that families may be considering destinations that feel especially well-suited to the June holiday period rather than moving away from Japan altogether.

This aligns with what families value most when travelling. The platform's Travel Trends 2026 research found that they value safety, tasty local cuisine, nice weather, value for money, ease of travel and accessibility, amongst other factors.

Families also seek trips that offer a broad mix of experiences such as shopping, visiting natural scenery, food experiences and theme park visits. This explains why Shanghai may be gaining traction, Anthony explained.

"The city combines the appeal of an urban holiday with strong family entertainment, which maps closely to the kinds of trips families are already taking and planning," he said.

"Shanghai also benefits from timely enablers, including Shanghai Disney Resort's year-long 10th anniversary celebrations and the continued ease of 30-day mutual visa-free travel between Singapore and China, which keep barriers low for families considering China this year."

Kuala Lumpur's popularity, on the other hand, is likely due to it being familiar to Singapore families and easy to navigate, said Anthony.

"Kuala Lumpur offers families a more straightforward version of what many are already looking for: a city holiday with enough food, shopping and variety to appeal across age groups, without feeling too complicated to plan."

With the Electric Train Service linking Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur starting operations in December last year, the city is now even more accessible for Singapore-based travellers, he noted.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com