MANILA, Philippines — The traditional Undas holiday is taking on a new dimension as more Filipino travelers choose overseas destinations, with international hotel reservations capturing more than twice their previous share of bookings on AirAsia MOVE.
New data released by the travel booking platform on October 29, 2026, show that overseas destinations accounted for 38% of hotel bookings for Undas 2026, compared with just 18% during the same holiday period last year.
International flight reservations also gained ground, rising from 14% to 17% of total flight bookings on the platform.
The findings suggest that overseas travel is becoming a more prominent choice among Filipinos using the app during the annual observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
But despite the sharp increase in international hotel booking share, domestic destinations remain the overwhelming favorite for flights, accounting for 83% of reservations.
That raises an important question for the country’s tourism industry: Are more Filipinos beginning to see overseas vacations as an attractive alternative to traditional domestic holiday trips?
International hotel booking share surges from 18% to 38%
The most striking change in AirAsia MOVE’s latest statistics involves international hotel reservations.
Overseas destinations captured 38% of hotel bookings for Undas 2026, up 20 percentage points from the 18% share reported in 2025.
That represents a relative increase of approximately 111% in international destinations’ share of hotel reservations.
Meanwhile, the proportion of domestic hotel bookings declined from 82% to 62%.
International flight reservations recorded a more modest increase, from 14% to 17%, while domestic flight bookings slipped from 86% to 83%.
These figures highlight an increasingly diversified market, with international accommodation attracting a much larger portion of reservations made through AirAsia MOVE.
However, the statistics require careful interpretation.
They represent the composition of bookings on one travel platform, not the entire Philippine tourism market.
AirAsia MOVE did not disclose the underlying total number of reservations in the reviewed announcement, making it impossible to determine from these percentages alone whether the absolute number of international hotel bookings more than doubled.
The figures also do not establish whether domestic tourism spending declined nationwide.
Taipei emerges as the biggest international favorite
Taipei, Taiwan, emerged as the leading international destination across AirAsia MOVE’s flight reservations, hotel bookings and SNAP! bundled flight-and-hotel packages.
The Taiwanese capital continues to attract Filipino travelers seeking a combination of urban attractions, food experiences, shopping, night markets and accessible public transportation.
Other prominent international destinations included Da Nang in Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand.
Da Nang featured among the leading overseas destinations for flight and accommodation bookings.
Kuala Lumpur appeared prominently across flight, hotel and bundled package categories.
Bangkok also remained a popular choice for hotel accommodations and vacation packages.
The prominence of nearby Asian destinations suggests that travelers continue to value regional accessibility when selecting international getaways.
But the platform did not provide a detailed cost comparison proving that these locations were cheaper than Philippine alternatives during the Undas period.
Taiwan gains momentum as AirAsia expands flights
The increasing popularity of Taiwan comes as AirAsia Philippines strengthens connectivity between Manila and the island.
On October 28, the airline announced that it was increasing its Manila–Kaohsiung service from four to seven weekly flights, alongside a tourism promotion partnership with the Pingtung County Government.
The move offers Filipino tourists more choices when traveling to southern Taiwan beyond the familiar attractions of Taipei.
WWC ONE MEDIA previously examined the development in AirAsia Philippines Expands Manila–Kaohsiung Flights to Daily Service — But Could Southern Taiwan Become the Next Big Destination for Filipino Travelers?.
The expanded service represents a 75% increase in weekly flight frequency.
However, increased service frequency does not automatically establish that passenger traffic or tourism spending will grow by the same percentage.
The success of the route will depend on sustained demand, attractive fares and the appeal of destinations beyond Taiwan’s established tourist centers.
Vietnam and China also attract growing Filipino travel interest
AirAsia MOVE’s Undas booking trends align with wider changes in overseas travel preferences reported by Philippine tourism industry sources.
Separate Department of Tourism data cited in recent reporting indicate that Filipino outbound travel increased by 7.16% to approximately 5.58 million departures during January to September 2026.
Vietnam and China recorded particularly strong growth among travelers from the Philippines, reflecting interest in regional destinations offering a variety of tourism experiences.
Vietnam recorded a 61.73% increase in the reported period, while China registered 51.04% growth.
South Korea and Taiwan also posted notable gains.
These figures cover a different period and population from AirAsia MOVE’s Undas reservations, and should not be treated as directly comparable booking statistics.
They nevertheless provide broader context for the popularity of overseas destinations.
Read WWC ONE MEDIA’s related analysis: Vietnam and China Attract More Filipino Travelers as Trips to Hong Kong Decline.
The broader trend suggests that international travel interest has remained resilient despite currency pressures and concerns about the cost of overseas trips.
Boracay remains a domestic powerhouse despite international competition
While overseas destinations are gaining visibility, Philippine tourist destinations continue to dominate reservations on AirAsia MOVE.
Boracay remained among the leading domestic destinations across flight reservations, hotel bookings and SNAP! travel packages.
Cebu and Manila also retained strong positions.
Iloilo and Tacloban emerged among the notable destinations for domestic flights and accommodation.
In an interesting contrast to international hotel booking growth, domestic destinations increased their share of SNAP! bundled flight-and-hotel packages.
Domestic package bookings accounted for 76% of the category in 2026, compared with 66% in 2025.
The figures suggest that Filipino travelers continue to find packaged domestic vacations appealing even as international accommodation captures a greater share of separate hotel bookings.
For tourism businesses, this points to the importance of offering convenient travel arrangements, competitive packages and accessible destinations.
Domestic airlines still see strong Undas demand
Additional reporting from the Philippine News Agency reinforces the continued importance of domestic travel.
On October 23, AirAsia Philippines reported stronger booking activity for destinations including Caticlan, Bacolod and Iloilo.
The airline also observed demand for Manila-bound services from cities such as Cagayan de Oro.
These findings are consistent with the tradition of families returning to their home provinces during Undas.
AirAsia Philippines, the airline, and AirAsia MOVE, the travel booking platform, are related businesses but report different booking information.
Their figures should not be combined as if they were drawn from the same dataset.
Filipino families are traveling together more often
Another notable development involves changes in the number of people traveling together.
Solo travelers continued to account for the largest share of flight bookings, but their proportion declined from 66% in 2025 to 55% in 2026.
At the same time, reservations for two travelers increased from 18% to 22%.
Small-group flight bookings rose from 6% to 10%, while the reported family booking category increased from 8% to 10%.
Hotel reservations showed an even more pronounced increase in the reported family category.
Family hotel bookings climbed from 6.5% to 17%.
Couples remained the leading category for hotel reservations, although their share fell from 72% to 58%.
The figures suggest that shared travel arrangements are becoming more prominent among people booking through the platform.
They also show that travelers may be combining holiday traditions with leisure activities, rather than choosing one over the other.
However, the reported travel-party categories may overlap or use different definitions, so their percentages should not be assumed to form a complete, mutually exclusive breakdown.
Filipinos are booking earlier to prepare for holiday travel
AirAsia MOVE’s data also indicate a shift toward earlier booking.
In 2025, 51% of flight reservations were made within two weeks of departure.
For Undas 2026, 72% of bookings were made at least 15 days before departure.
The platform characterized the findings as evidence that travelers are becoming more deliberate about planning their trips.
Advance reservations can allow travelers to compare airfare, accommodation and itinerary options before the busiest days of the holiday period.
However, booking earlier does not guarantee lower prices.
Airfares and hotel rates fluctuate according to availability, demand, promotional conditions and other factors.
Despite the change in booking timing, the average reported trip duration remained six days in both years.
AirAsia MOVE Philippines country representative Malou Japson said the findings illustrate how traditional family activities and leisure travel can coexist during the holiday.
For many travelers, Undas may now represent both an opportunity to remember departed loved ones and a chance to spend additional time with family members in another destination.
NAIA braces for 1.25 million passengers during Undas
The rise in holiday travel interest is unfolding as Philippine airports prepare for heavy passenger activity.
The operator of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, New NAIA Infra Corp., expects approximately 1.25 million passengers between October 27 and November 4.
That compares with around 1.24 million passengers during the corresponding period in 2025.
October 30 is expected to be the busiest day, with approximately 149,000 passengers projected to pass through the airport.
Authorities are deploying additional personnel, strengthening security and coordinating closely with airlines and government agencies.
The airport operator is also monitoring baggage handling, aircraft movements and passenger congestion.
WWC ONE MEDIA previously reported on these preparations in NAIA Braces for 1.25 Million Undas Travelers as October 30 Rush Nears — But Can Airport Upgrades Prevent Holiday Chaos?.
The projected airport volume includes domestic and international passengers and should not be interpreted as the number of overseas tourists recorded by AirAsia MOVE.
Travel reminders as Filipinos prepare for Undas 2026
With passenger traffic expected to intensify, travelers should review their flight arrangements before heading to the airport.
AirAsia Philippines has advised passengers to check in early, confirm baggage allowances and allow sufficient time for airport procedures.
The airline’s self-check-in service is available through its website and AirAsia MOVE for eligible flights beginning 14 days before departure and closing one hour before scheduled departure.
Passengers should confirm the requirements applicable to their specific flight.
International travelers should also review passport validity, immigration requirements and destination-specific entry conditions.
Those traveling to provinces by road should pay attention to official traffic and transportation advisories.
Related coverage: LTO Deploys Over 100 Personnel for Undas 2026 — But Here’s What Motorists Should Prepare for Before Hitting the Road.
The country’s holiday travel surge creates opportunities for tourism businesses, but it also increases pressure on airports, airlines and transport services.
Could the overseas travel boom challenge Philippine tourism?
The growing share of international hotel bookings raises a question for the Philippine travel industry.
Are nearby Asian destinations becoming more appealing to Filipino travelers?
The available data indicate stronger interest in overseas accommodation through AirAsia MOVE, but they do not prove that Filipino travelers are abandoning domestic tourism.
Domestic destinations still account for the majority of flight and hotel reservations on the platform.
They also captured a growing share of bundled vacation packages.
For Philippine tourism operators, the developments highlight the importance of offering competitive pricing, convenient transportation, reliable services and memorable experiences.
For airlines and travel booking platforms, the emerging opportunity lies in accommodating both overseas explorers and domestic travelers.
The average six-day trip duration also suggests that the holiday remains an important period for longer journeys, whether within the Philippines or abroad.
As Undas approaches, the competition for Filipino travelers’ budgets is increasingly extending beyond national borders.
The bigger question is no longer simply where Filipinos will spend their Undas holidays, but whether domestic destinations can continue competing successfully as international travel becomes more accessible and more prominent in booking platforms.
