According to MMGY Travel Intelligence's 2023 Portrait of Asian International Travelers research report, the average Asian international traveler intends to take an average of 2.3 international trips over the next two years, with an anticipated average spend of $3,223 per trip.
“The health and recovery of the Asian travel segment is paramount to the overall vitality of the global tourism marketplace, so the world is undoubtedly keeping a close eye on this audience’s intent to travel,” Cees Bosselaar, MMGY Travel Intelligence Europe managing director, said in a statement. “As travel marketers increasingly compete for share of voice and spending, this study adds depth and cultural nuances to the how and why behind Asian traveler decisions at a very critical time.”
Additional key findings from the study include:
- The choice of travel destinations among Asian international travelers is deeply personal and often reflects their own personality and the needs and interests of their family (78 percent). Europe, the South Pacific, the United States, Canada and Southeast Asia were the top five wish-list destinations shared.
- When considering plans to travel internationally for a leisure trip, the most significant factors impacting travelers across almost all segments, including age, education and nationality, were concerns about personal safety (79 percent), followed closely by the cost of airfare/accommodations (72 percent) and travel disruptions at airports such as canceled flights (71 percent).
- As a whole, the Asian travel audience shows an overwhelming preference to invest more in distinct and new experiences during their travels (77 percent), indicating that experiential travel holds more allure for them than material items.
- In line with what has been a historically affluent market, seven in 10 Asian travelers (69 percent) said that they are willing to spend more for a luxurious experience when traveling internationally. This sentiment is especially strong among travelers from India (79 percent) and China (76 percent).
- Finally, in terms of itinerary format, the survey found that there is a growing interest in multi-day organized group tours among Asian international travelers. In the past three years, 42 percent of Asian international travelers participated in multi-day organized group tours, whereas 56 percent expressed a likelihood to participate in such tours in the next two years.
Social media usage, interregional and seasonal travel patterns, sustainability and other topics are also examined in the Portrait of Asian International Travelers study.