Marriott International report reveals trends amongst affluent Asia Pacific travellers

A recent Marriott International report has outlined key emerging trends amongst high-income travellers in the Asia Pacific.

The New Luxe Landscapes Report written by The Luxury Group (a brand which falls under the Marriott International business portfolio) explored how affluent tourists prefer to travel.

The data included insights from the wealthiest 10% of people across six markets, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and India.

From the report, travellers were shown to prefer longer holidays, and they defined these as holidays lasting longer than two and a half weeks.

On average, travellers had six leisure trips planned per year, but an additional 33% of research participants had at least seven holidays planned for 2024.

70% of respondents chose to travel with close friends or relatives, and Australia was the number one destination of choice for high-net-worth Indonesian, Japanese and Singaporean tourists.

The most active travellers came from India, with 89% of respondents stating they are planning to spend more time this year travelling for celebrations or events.

88% of travellers are picking destinations that have high-end gastronomy and fine dining experiences.

The key types of travellers

Amongst high net worth individuals, the report indicated there are three main ‘Traveler Personas’.

First, the ‘Venture Travelist’ while on holiday is always looking for business opportunities and chances to forge connections within local communities.

Entrepreneurial by nature, these travellers enjoy shopping for local products and services and evaluating promising business deals.

The second person, the ‘Experience Connoisseur’, was composed primarily of millennials, who perceive travel as an opportunity for personal enrichment.

Travelling more frequently, ‘Experience Connoisseurs’ invest in their own well-being, and enjoy exploring destinations in depth to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Persona three, the ‘Timeless Adventurer’, are on average over the age of 65, and they love learning about the culture and inner workings of their destination.

Less interested in tourist attractions, these travellers are drawn to destinations with a sense of authenticity, and love discovering what makes a specific place unique.

Interesting information

The report also outlined a number of other interesting trends that emerged from the data.

The most self-sufficient travellers are Singaporeans, with 61% of respondents preferring to travel without company.

Australians are more likely to travel for a longer period of time, with 73% planning to leave their country for a minimum of two weeks.

Sustainable travel is an important issue for high net-worth tourists, with 80% considering their accommodation’s environmental policies before booking holidays.

High net worth travellers are primarily looking for exotic experiences, through trying unfamiliar local cuisines, purchasing handmade products, or discovering unique cultural practices.

The most critical features for a destination to be considered a ‘luxury experience’ are that their destination is safe (91%), offers exceptional service (41%), and is personalised (33%).

The Asia-Pacific continues to be a tourism hotspot, and high-net-worth travellers stimulate the economy in local communities and industries.