The global travel industry is capitalising on anime’s transition into a cultural force. According to the latest data from travel group trip.com released on 18 May, searches for anime and comic-related travel experiences across Asia have surged 195% year-on-year.

Niche fandom has ballooned into a billion-dollar tourism play, drawing Gen Z and millennial travellers from 82 countries, the report shows.

Hong Kong and Taiwan lead, but the appetite is pan-Asian.

Trip.com says its international ticket sales jumped 697% year on year for AnimeJapan 2026 in Tokyo (ADD dates), with sales from 82 countries and regions. The majority are from Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and Singapore.

Highly popular among Gen Zs and Millennials, more than half of ticket buyers were aged between 25 to 34 years old, and over half were male.

But Hong Kong Comic Con bookings have flipped the script: women made up over 80% of sales ahead of the event at the end of this month.

Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea are home to some of the most engaged fanbases globally – young, digitally native consumers who grew up streaming “One Piece”, “Demon Slayer” and “Naruto”.

Tokyo districts Akihabara and Ikebukuro are seeing 10% year-on-year increases in hotel bookings, driven by travellers from South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong.