#JOM: Beyond the bucket list
NOT so long ago, a holiday could be measured quite simply: the number of places visited, famous landmarks photographed and boxes ticked off a travel list.
In recent years, holiday travel has shifted from ticking off a list of famous landmarks to seeking unique experiences. Rather than simply visiting places on a predetermined itinerary, travelers are now asking, "What do I want to experience?" This could be witnessing the cherry blossoms in Japan, the Northern Lights in Finland, the Great Migration in Kenya, or even sailing through Norwegian fjords or traveling to Antarctica. The destination still matters, but the reason for going shapes the journey.
This shift in travel preferences is particularly relevant in regions where international travel remains popular. In Malaysia, for instance, 69% of Malaysians planned to take a holiday abroad in 2024, with activities and experiences influencing destination choices. Similarly, Singapore saw over 10.67 million outbound departures by residents in 2025, and Thailand experienced a 45% increase in international travel among Thai travellers in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period a year earlier.
An example of this trend is an incentive trip to Japan organized around the cherry blossom season. Instead of following a conventional travel itinerary, the trip was planned around the flowering period, allowing the group to experience Japan at a particular moment in its calendar. The trip was not just to Japan, but a trip to experience Japan in bloom.
Travel advisor Sarah Yap notes that planning now starts with the traveler's interests, passions, milestones, or once-in-a-lifetime ambitions. The destination is then built around these desires, which could include arranging a journey around a sporting event, seeking out a specific food culture, spending more time in lesser-known towns, or creating an itinerary that allows families to experience something together.
With so much information available, travelers can research destinations, hotels, restaurants, and more before leaving home. However, just having all this information doesn't guarantee a good holiday. A well-planned trip should be about making the most of limited time available without losing the sense of discovery that makes travel exciting.
A travel professional's role has evolved beyond arranging flights, hotels, and transfers. They now need to listen carefully to understand what a traveler is looking for and connect those interests with the right places, timing, and experiences. The result can be a holiday that is more than just seeing every attraction, but experiencing something that matters to the traveler.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
