The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

Global bookings for aurora-viewing tours surge 225% YoY, while searches for Northern Lights are up by 132% YoY, Trip.com data reveals

SINGAPORE, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Witnessing the auroras has always been on many people's bucket lists, but its elusive nature has also made it a seemingly challenging endeavour. Dark skies, clear weather, and solar activity are what is needed to catch the ethereal sight, thus requiring a fair bit of luck. Still, it remains a bucket list item for many travellers, with new data from Trip.com revealing a 132% year-on-year (YoY) increase in global searches for aurora borealis over the past year. 

Top Northern Light Destinations

With reports saying that 2026-2027 is shaping to be the last reliably strong aurora season before activity fades to a minimum around 2031, travel interest to the north remains high. Nordic countries such as Finland, Norway and Sweden are some of the top-searched Northern Light destinations globally^[1]. 

Reservations for aurora-viewing tours and packages are also seeing a surge of 225% YoY, and some of the top-booked destinations include Reykjavík, Iceland, Tromsø, Norway and Yellowknife, Canada^[2].

Meanwhile, Mohe in Heilongjiang, China, is gaining attention as an aurora-viewing destination, with a near four-fold increase in worldwide searches in the past year^[3]. Ranked top two on Trip.Best's 'November Global Aurora Destination List', China's northernmost city is said to be one of the rare places where you can get a glimpse of the aurora borealis in the country. Global flight bookings to the city over the past year have risen by 47% YoY, based on Trip.com data^[4].

The increased Northern Lights interest is translating into actual booking behaviour. Worldwide total bookings to popular aurora-viewing destinations during the upcoming winter-spring season are already signalling an upward trend - notably, Rovaniemi, Finland (+72%), Kiruna, Sweden (+56%) and Tromsø, Norway (+48%)^[5]. Travellers from markets including China, United Kingdom, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Singapore are among the top source markets driving this growth^[6]. 

APAC Plans Early While Europe Sees Some Flexibility

While travel interest to aurora-viewing destinations sees an upward trend from as early as May^[7], bookings tend to congregate toward the end of the year, as dark winter nights and clear skies boost chances of catching the dancing lights. 

Globally, the average booking window falls slightly over three months, suggesting that aurora-chasing trips are less of a spontaneous one, but an intentional getaway that holidaygoers plan ahead. This is especially so for APAC travellers who plan their aurora trips early, with an even longer average booking window (+10%). Meanwhile, European travellers are more flexible with their booking timelines with a shorter average booking window (-10%) likely due to a closer proximity to the northern region. 

From Aurora-Chasing to a Full Winter Adventure

While auroras may be the main agenda, most travellers also take the chance to explore the surrounding sights and sounds, building a larger and longer trip filled with winter magic and snow adventures. On average, international travellers stay eight to nine days when making trips to popular aurora destinations like Reykjavík, Tromsø, Svalbard, Yellowknife and Fairbanks^[8]. This is because more days not only mean a higher chance of catching the aurora, but also time for winter activities and attractions, such as Santa Claus Village, whale watching, sea fishing, skiing and sledding. 

With so many destination options, deciding where to travel to for that ultimate aurora trip may seem like a feat. Using TripGenie, Trip.com Group's AI agent, travellers can easily get suggestions on where to go for their ultimate bucket list aurora trip, based on their preferences and priorities. 

About Trip.com Group

Trip.com Group is a global travel service provider comprising Trip.com, Ctrip, Skyscanner, and Qunar. Across its platforms, Trip.com Group helps travellers around the world make informed and cost-effective bookings for travel products and services and enables partners to connect their offerings with users through the aggregation of travel-related content and resources, and an advanced transaction platform consisting of apps, websites and 24/7 customer service centres. Founded in 1999 and listed on NASDAQ in 2003 and HKEX in 2021, Trip.com Group is on the mission "to pursue the perfect trip for a better world". Find out more about Trip.com Group here: group.trip.com.

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[1] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[2] Based on Trip.com Group booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[3] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[4] Based on Trip.com flight booking data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[5] Based on Trip.com booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[6] Based on Trip.com Group booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[7] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[8] Based on Trip.com booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[1] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[2] Based on Trip.com Group booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[3] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[4] Based on Trip.com flight booking data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[5] Based on Trip.com booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[6] Based on Trip.com Group booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

[7] Based on Trip.com search data from 1 October 2025 to 30 September 2026, compared to the same period the year before.

[8] Based on Trip.com booking data from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027, compared to the same period the year before.

 

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The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

The Aurora Allure: Why It's Still on Everyone's Bucket List and Where It's Taking Travellers

Conference addresses emerging challenges in the Agentic AI era, recognizes cybersecurity excellence across ASEAN and Japan

BANGKOK, Nov. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA) successfully held its 3rd Annual Conference at the Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park, bringing together government officials, cybersecurity leaders, industry representatives, academics, and cybersecurity communities from across ASEAN, Japan, and beyond.

Under the theme "Advancing Trusted Cybersecurity through the Agentic AI Era and Regional Collaboration," the conference highlighted the importance of trusted partnerships and collective action in addressing increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. The event also celebrated outstanding cybersecurity contributions through the AJCCA Cyber Resilience Award (ACRA) 2026 and highlighted AJCCA's expanding industry partnerships, including a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Thai ICT Industry (ATCI).

The conference was hosted by the Thailand Information Security Association (TISA), one of AJCCA's founding communities, and co-hosted by Chulalongkorn Business School, Chulalongkorn University.

In his welcome remarks, Dr. Rudi Lumanto, Chairman of AJCCA, emphasized the profound impact of artificial intelligence on the global cybersecurity landscape.

"We are entering a new era where artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool that answers questions. AI is becoming more autonomous. It can make decisions, perform tasks, and take actions with limited human intervention," he said.

While recognizing the opportunities AI presents for innovation and productivity, Dr. Lumanto warned that cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to accelerate attacks, identify vulnerabilities, and automate malicious activities.

"The speed of cyberattacks is increasing, and our defense must become faster, smarter, and more collaborative," he emphasized.

He also stressed that technology alone cannot guarantee cybersecurity resilience.

"We need skilled people. We need strong institutions. We need cooperation between governments, industries, academia, and cybersecurity communities."

The conference featured distinguished speakers from major national and regional cybersecurity institutions, including Thailand's National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), Indonesia's National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), Japan's National Cybersecurity Office (NCO), and the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO).

Experts from government agencies, Chulalongkorn University, the World Economic Forum (WEF), and leading technology and cybersecurity organizations also shared their perspectives on emerging threats, agentic AI, and regional cybersecurity preparedness.

A major highlight of the event was the AJCCA Cyber Resilience Award (ACRA) 2026, recognizing individuals who have made outstanding contributions to cybersecurity leadership, technical excellence, capacity building, and community development across ASEAN and Japan.

The award recipients were announced during the conference and formally recognized at the AJCCA Awards Night Dinner held later that evening.

Dr. Lumanto emphasized that cybersecurity contributions extend beyond technical expertise to include leadership, education, and community building.

"Cybersecurity contributions come in many different forms. Some are technical contributions from people working behind the scenes to protect our digital infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity capabilities. Others demonstrate outstanding leadership by inspiring people, driving initiatives, and creating positive change," he said.

The ACRA 2026 recipients were:

• Brunei: Mr. Shamsul Bahri Haji Kamis — Interim Commissioner, Cyber Security Brunei
• Cambodia: Mr. Sophat CHY — Digital Content Creator, ICT Trainer, and Lead Organizer, BarCamp Cambodia
• Indonesia: Drs. Nugroho Sulistyo Budi, M.M., M.Han. — Head of the National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN)
• Japan: Mr. Itsuro Nishimoto — CEO, D.ry2 Co., Ltd.
• Laos: Mr. Khamla Sounnalat — Director General, Department of Cyber Security, Ministry of Technology and Communications
• Malaysia: Ts. Mohd Shahril Bin Hussin — Head, Cyber Threat Management, Bank Negara Malaysia; Vice-Chairman, MCCO; and Co-Founder, rawSEC
• Philippines: Mr. Albert P. Dela Cruz — Co-Founder, Philippine Computer Emergency Response Team (PH-CERT)
• Singapore: Mr. YUM Shoen Yih — Technical Expert, CyberSG TIG Collaboration Centre
• Thailand: Dr. Mahatana Ampornpisit — President, Government Housing Bank
• Vietnam: Mr. Nguyen Minh Duc — Founder and CEO, CyRadar Information Security Joint Stock Company

A Special Award was also presented to Asst. Prof. Taninnit Leerapun, M.D., Director of Sriphat Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Thailand, in recognition of his contributions.

Through ACRA, AJCCA aims to celebrate cybersecurity achievements, encourage knowledge sharing, and inspire future generations of cybersecurity professionals and community leaders.

In addition to recognizing cybersecurity excellence, AJCCA further strengthened its regional network through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Thai ICT Industry (ATCI).

The partnership aims to promote closer cooperation between cybersecurity communities and the ICT industry, creating new opportunities for knowledge exchange, technology collaboration, joint initiatives, and business partnerships across ASEAN and Japan.

Ms. Kobkanjana Veerapongpradit, Vice President of ATCI, emphasized that cooperation should extend beyond cybersecurity awareness and information sharing to include practical partnerships and business opportunities at regional and global levels.

Dr. Lumanto noted that the agreement represented AJCCA's third MoU signed in 2026, reflecting the Alliance's continued expansion of its strategic partnership network.

With the ATCI partnership, AJCCA has established relationships with six global partners, further strengthening its international network for cybersecurity cooperation and capacity building.

The partnership also complements AJCCA's Business Matching initiative, which connects cybersecurity challenges with relevant technologies, expertise, services, and potential business partners.

Dr. Lumanto explained that Business Matching works alongside AJCCA's Threat Intelligence Working Group to help organizations translate identified cybersecurity needs into practical solutions.

"Threat intelligence identifies the need, while business matching helps mobilize the capability," he said.

By connecting organizations seeking cybersecurity solutions with companies and experts capable of addressing those needs, AJCCA aims to bridge the gap between information sharing and practical implementation.

The 3rd AJCCA Annual Conference demonstrated the Alliance's growing role as a platform connecting cybersecurity communities, governments, industries, and academia across ASEAN and Japan.

Through high-level discussions, the recognition of cybersecurity leaders, strategic partnerships, and practical industry collaboration, AJCCA continues to strengthen regional cyber resilience and promote trusted cybersecurity cooperation.

As artificial intelligence and digital technologies continue to evolve, AJCCA remains committed to developing cybersecurity capabilities, fostering trusted relationships, and encouraging collective action toward a safer, more resilient, and more trusted digital future across ASEAN and Japan.

About AJCCA

The ASEAN Japan Cybersecurity Community Alliance (AJCCA) is a regional alliance of cybersecurity communities dedicated to strengthening cybersecurity cooperation between ASEAN and Japan. AJCCA promotes collaboration among cybersecurity professionals, industry organizations, academia, and government stakeholders through capacity building, threat intelligence sharing, strategic communication, cybersecurity recognition, and business collaboration.

Website: https://ajcca.net/

Contact: 
AJCCA Secretariat
info@ajcca.net

 

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AJCCA Advances Trusted Cybersecurity at 3rd Annual Conference in Bangkok, Honors ACRA 2026 Awardees and Expands Regional Partnerships