One in four Asian travellers have chosen to visit a destination because of a cheap flight, while two in five hoteliers in Asia plan to increase room rates in 2016. These are some of the findings in the latest TripBarometer study from TripAdvisor highlighting key trends shaping the travel landscape next year.
According to the report, Asian travellers are also fussy when it comes amenities in accommodation. 67% of those surveyed say they will not stay in a hotel if it does not have air-conditioning, making it the number one deal-breaker for booking decisions.
Cheap flights influence Asian travellers’ choice of holiday destinations.(Image credit: suriyasilsaksom/iStock)
Next on the list is the property’s in-room WiFi, with 60% of Chinese travellers opting to look elsewhere if this service was not offered and 39% stating superfast WiFi is essential. In contrast, 16% of Indian travellers would pay extra for superfast WiFi, and only 9% would pay extra for in-room WiFi
“Value is key for global travellers in 2016, as they look to get the most out of their trips. While a third plan to increase their travel budgets for next year, the majority of global travellers expect essential amenities to be included in the price of their hotel and more than half say special offers can play a big part in their choice of destination,” said Helena Egan, director, global industry relations at TripAdvisor.
The TripBarometer ‘2016 Travel Trends’ report was conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm, Ipsos, from interviews of more than 44,000 traveller and hotelier respondents worldwide. Below is a summary of the key findings.
Travel budgets for 2016
- One in three Asian travellers plan to spend more on their trips in 2016, with 52% saying they and their family deserve it. 38% are planning longer trips next year, and 37% are planning to go somewhere on their wishlist.
- Australians are set to spend the most globally in 2016 with an average travel budget of US$10,900, followed by the Swiss (US$10,100) and the Americans (US$8,400).
- Asian travellers will have smaller budgets in comparison, with Japan ranking the highest US$5,600, followed by China (US$3,600), India (US$3,100), Thailand (US$2,200), Malaysia (US$2,100), and Indonesia (US$1,400).
Culture and special offers
- A destination’s culture and society is the most popular individual driver for travellers considering where to take a trip, with 42% of Asian respondents saying they visited a country because of its culture and people.
- One in two travellers globally say they have chosen a destination as a result of special offers.
- In Asia one in four travellers (25%) say they have chosen to visit a destination because of a cheap flight with Malaysia (39%), Indonesia (36%) and China (23%) topping the list.
- Recommendation is important when it comes to choosing a destination with over a quarter of Asian travellers (27%) stating they visited a destination a friend or a relative recommended it.
Staying cool and connected
- When it comes to amenities the top deal-breaker for Asian travellers is air conditioning with 67% of travellers say they will look elsewhere if it is not available.
- Globally, nearly half (46%) of travellers will not consider a hotel that does not have free WiFi, with 11% say they would be willing to pay extra for super-fast WiFi.
- Other Asian staples are breakfast and the in-room kettle, with over one in three Asian travellers (36%) say they would look elsewhere if the accommodation they are considering does not provide breakfast at the standard rate or have a kettle in the room.
- One in five Asian travellers (19%) will also not book a hotel without a swimming pool.
Room rates on the rise around the world
- Globally, 47% of hoteliers are raising their room rates, with accommodation owners in Asia the least likely to do so (39%).
- Of those planning to increase rates, 53% of accommodation owners in Asia plan to do so to cover increased overhead costs, and 40% of them to accommodate for increased demand.
Investment priorities for 2016
- 94% of accommodation owners in Asia cited online traveller reviews as most important for the future of their business especially in Indonesia (99%) and Japan (96%).
- Online reputation management remains the biggest area of planned investment for hoteliers in 2016, with 59% globally investing more in this area next year and 69% for hoteliers in Asia.
- Focus on customer experience in 2016, with 61% of businesses say that they are planning to invest in staff training, higher than the Americas (55%) and Europe (38%).
- Globally, the majority of hoteliers see increasing direct bookings (91%) as key for the future of their business, with 48% of accommodation owners planning to invest more in marketing and advertising, and 47% in traffic acquisition (47%) for 2016.
