Sabre is helping travel industry players better serve their target customers by presenting four new traveller ‘types’ emerging in Asia Pacific (APAC) .
This revelation is part of the study, The Polarisation of Asian Travellers (download report), which also highlights a series of highly contrasting traveller preferences behind the growing Asian Pacific travel market.
According to some of the survey findings, four out of five Asian travellers now regard travel as a necessity and not a luxury.Over one in three say they would travel for leisure three or more times per year.
Explorers, most common traveller type and tend to go solo (Image credit: littlehenrabi/iStock)
These travellers fall into the four new highly contrasting ‘types’:
• Explorers: Take the top spot as one in three Asian travellers fall into this category, making this the most common traveller type around the region. They tend to be individuals who like to take control of their trips, and are most likely to plan travels on the go. They are also open to truly immersing themselves in their destination, with 79% saying it is more important to embrace the local customs and traditions of their travel destination even if that mean setting aside their own. More inclined to travel solo.
• Followers: Typically more selfless travellers. The majority (66%) would prioritise travel companions’ interest above theirs. 93% travel with friends and family, while 75% view travel as a way to bond with their travel companions. Most (72%) said they would like to travel with a travel agency for their next trip, while 58% tend to use planned itineraries.
• Connectors: Seasoned travellers with over seven in 10 preferring to plan an itinerary ahead of time. They share their experiences the most and across multiple platforms, with 61% saying their sharing has inspired someone else to take a trip.
• Opportunists: The smallest group but are most enthusiastic about self-indulgence, thus with the most potential for high spending. 62% travel to pamper themselves compared to 55% across all Asian travellers. They spend a week or less planning for their trip, while one in four (26%)would be comfortable travelling without any planning especially when in a tour group. Influenced by a good deal, a top factor inspiring a third in this group to travel.
National preferences
After Explorer, which is the top traveller type for all 11 Asian markets surveyed, the following groupings were recorded:
- Connectors tend to be swaying their influence in Australia, Indonesia, Korea and New Zealand.
- Followers are gathering together in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore.
- Opportunists are ready to go in China and Taiwan.
“Sabre’s study provides a fresh take on Asian travellers today. By going beyond traditional traveller segmentations to map the evolution of our customers at a more granular level we can hone our services to keep adding value to the travel experience,” said Allen Leng, corporate office director, Chan Brothers Travel & Director, Chan Brothers Lab.
Roshan Mendis: APAC’ s projected growth is among one of the highest (Image credit: Sabre)
Sabre Travel Network’s senior vice president for Asia Pacific, Roshan Mendis, noted that the APAC travel market is not only the world’s largest but the region is also one with the highest level of projected growth.
“With this comes rapid evolution in the way people travel; their expectations, choices, likes and dislikes. We need to understand these changes to keep the travel industry players we serve at the forefront of this evolution.”
• Featured image credit: XiXinXing/iStock
