Where do Asian tourists most want to travel abroad after the epidemic?
Booking.com recently released a report on the Asia-Pacific Travel Confidence Index after surveying about 11,000 people in the Asia-Pacific region. The survey shows that mainland Chinese tourists have the strongest travel intentions, with 89% saying they have travel plans within a year, 63% said they will travel abroad once quarantine measures are lifted. Among them, 43% will choose Japan or South Korea as a destination, 28% will travel to Southeast Asian countries, 19% will prefer Australia and New Zealand, and 6% will travel to North America.
China – 89%
Nearly 90 percent of Chinese respondents said they plan to travel next year, the highest of any region surveyed. Additionally, 62% said they plan to travel abroad “immediately” after China lifts its quarantine policy. The survey showed that 43% of them plan to go to Japan or South Korea, 28% will travel to Southeast Asian countries, 19% prefer Australia and New Zealand, and 6% will travel to North America. Of all those surveyed, Chinese respondents were least concerned about costs (20%), but most concerned about quarantine policies (46%).
India – 86%
The survey shows that Indians have high travel confidence, with about 86% of respondents saying they plan to travel within 12 months. Additionally, 70% of respondents said they would accept expected travel disruptions, the highest in the survey. Indians also have confidence in their own country – 85% say India can safely welcome back international tourists.
Vietnam – 85%
The survey showed that Vietnamese are also confident to travel again (85%) due to their satisfaction with the reopening of borders and confidence in Vietnam’s ability to receive tourists again (75%). However, rising prices can take their toll. Among all respondents, Vietnamese are most concerned about cost (53%).
South Korea – 80%
About 80% of South Koreans in the survey said they would likely travel in the next 12 months, but only 31% said they would be willing to accept the expected travel disruption. And except for the category of travel confidence, other categories of Koreans in the survey are below the regional average.
New Zealand – 80%
Nearly 80 per cent of Kiwis said they were likely to travel in the next year, with the biggest motivation being to visit family (53 per cent), the survey showed. However, only 49 per cent of New Zealand respondents believed leisure travel was important during the pandemic, 5 percentage points below the regional average.
Singapore – 75%
Some 75% of Singaporeans said they were likely to travel next year, slightly below the regional average of 76%, the survey showed. This figure was largely influenced by respondents’ reluctance to accept travel disruptions. In Singapore, known for its organization and efficiency, especially at top-ranked Changi Airport, only 35% said they would be willing to accept travel delays and related issues, compared with the regional average of 47%.
Australia – 72%
Compared to the regional average, Australians are slightly less willing to travel than the rest of Asia Pacific (72% V.S 76%). Australians and New Zealanders are also less willing to share personal information for travel purposes than other countries in the region. The survey showed that just over half of Australians were satisfied with the idea of restarting travel (55 per cent), and 53 per cent were satisfied with Australia’s ability to safely host international tourists again.
Thailand – 70%
Thailand receives the most tourists of any country in the region. Surveys show that 70% of Thais are willing to travel. Yet only 39% of Thais say they are satisfied with the reopening of regional borders (versus the regional average of 53%). Even fewer (29%) said they were confident in Thailand’s ability to safely reopen to international tourists (compared to 51% in the region).
Japan – 62%
According to the survey results, Japanese tourists are the least confident tourists in the Asia-Pacific region this year. Only 18 percent expressed confidence in Japan’s ability to host international tourists again, and 26 percent were satisfied with the reopening of borders.
Japanese are also far less tolerant of travel disruptions than other regions, with only 24% saying they accept it, the lowest of all regions surveyed, the survey showed. In terms of travel intention, 62% of Japanese plan to travel in the future.
