STEPPING OUT OF THE CROWD

Transcription

1 PATA Youth Travel Report Where the Next Generation of Asian Travellers is Heading, and How to Win a Place on their Travel Itinerary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Proud Sponsor:

2 1 SETTING THE SCENE Given that the rise in global tourism is set to be driven by young travellers, especially from countries in the Asia Pacific region: How can the world s most popular destinations provide enriching travel experiences for this key market? How can secondary destinations benefit from the rise in outbound travel from Asian markets? How can tourism stakeholders ease the pressure on popular attractions and encourage travellers to go off the beaten track?

3 2 introduction International tourist arrivals are increasing steadily year after year and today, there are few corners of the globe where tourists haven t reached. According to PATA s ﬁve year forecast, during the period , international visitor arrivals to 38 countries and territories in Asia and the Paciﬁc (APAC) are forecast to increase by 22 percent. Where will all these people go? Today, there are few corners of the planet that tourists have not managed to reach in search of new sights, sounds, tastes and feelings. As more people enter the middle class around the world and seek to spend more of their time and money on travel, can the world s most popular destinations guarantee an authentic, high quality, stress-free experience for all who wish to visit?

4 3 Presenting: Stepping Out of the Crowd PATA s first report on youth travel The Rise of the Young Asian Traveller, found that the emerging outbound markets of Northeast, Southeast and South Asia are youthful, and that it is essential for destinations to understand the specific interests of Millennial-generation consumers. As more young people set out from Asia to discover the world for the first time, the travel and tourism industry has the responsibility to help them travel in a responsible way, and to help them seek the experiences that they are looking for. In response to this need, PATA presents: Stepping Out of the Crowd: Where the Next Generation of Asian Travellers is Heading, and How to Win a Place on Their Travel Itinerary Featuring exclusive consumer insights, expert opinion and case studies, this report takes a closer look at the travel tastes and attitudes of Millennials in Asia and explains how all stakeholders in global tourism can work together to take Asian Millennials off the beaten track, so that their hunger for travel experiences may benefit more young people, and the destinations they visit...

5 4 The Rise and Rise of Outbound Travel from Asia and the Pacific In the next 10 to 15 years Asian countries are set to drive exponential growth in both intra-regional and inter-regional travel From 2015 to 2020, 10 APAC* destinations are forecast to see an increased volume of arrivals from China of 500,000 or more Other outbound markets such as the Republic of Korea, India, Thailand and Vietnam are growing quickly too The impact of this growth will affect destinations in different ways and at different times If this growth is not managed or in some cases contained completely, some destinations in the region will be acutely vulnerable to overcrowding. This can have severely negative consequences for the economy, society and environment *A full classification of APAC source markets and destinations used in the five year forecast can be found in the full report. Do we want to control growth or do we want growth to control us? Tommy Remengesau, President of the Republic of Palau March 2015

6 5 The Rise and Rise of Outbound Travel from Asia and the Pacific Using data from PATA s ﬁve year forecast on international visitor arrivals (IVAs) for the period , Stepping Out of the Crowd looks at the nature of growth in outbound travel from four APAC source markets: China Republic of Korea India Thailand The report also looks in-depth at forecast international visitor arrivals to four APAC destinations: Republic of Korea Japan Thailand The Republic of the Maldives Featuring input from ten national and regional tourism boards in Asia and the Paciﬁc, the report also looks at how destination authorities are working with partners to tackle overcrowding and ensure that the economic impact of tourism goes further.

7 6 Focus on Millennials The world s most popular destinations draw travellers of all ages from around the globe, but this report places a special focus on Millennials from Asia. We do this for two reasons: 1. The Millennial generation (currently aged 16-35) will be the main demographic behind Asia s outbound tourism growth in the next years. 2. This tech-savvy, globally curious generation is also driving the growth of free and independent travel (FIT). With the mobile devices that assist planning on the go, and a constant flow of travel inspiration and advice received via social media, Millennials in Asia are the best-prepared generation yet to travel freely and seek alternative experiences that are off the beaten track. These characteristics make this market an essential one for destinations and travel brands to understand and engage with.

8 7 Exclusive insights on Asian Millennials travel BEHAVIOUR Using data from a dedicated online survey, Stepping Out of the Crowd presents ground-breaking insights on the attitudes of over 1,000 Millennials from around Asia on: Travel planning and destination choice Exploring new cities Influence of friends and family on travel choices Improving the visitor experience Attitudes toward exploring alternative destinations

9 8 Adventurous Asian Millennials: Insights on Trip Planning and City Exploration Asian Millennials see travel as an escape from everyday life, and want to seek rewarding experiences from their time on the road. 93 percent say they wanted to try experiences beyond their everyday lifestyle. Composing an itinerary while on the go is the preferred way to plan: 83 percent of Asian Millennials prefer to make a basic plan in advance and work out the rest when they arrive in the destination. Top five preferred activities when visiting a new city overseas: Discover local heritage and traditions Visit small shops with locally-made items Discover local youth culture and trends Visit a food market Visit a local festival When visiting a foreign city for the first time, 89 percent of Asian Millennials will look for a location or event directly connected with their favourite music, art, sport, fashion, architecture, video game, movie or TV programme.

10 9 Adventurous Asian Millennials: Insights on Trip Planning and City Exploration Seventy percent of Asian Millennials head for the big sights and then seek out other alternative areas of the city. Time is of the essence! Young Asian travellers seek the most rewarding experience they can get in the shortest time possible. Twenty percent said that time was more of a constraint on their travel plans than money. Ninety-one percent say they wish they could stay longer to get to know smaller towns and villages, as well as the local people and culture. Top three preferred channels for ﬁnding out about tours, activities, food and places to visit: 1. Traveller review sites (e.g. TripAdvisor) 2. Looking at friends social media posts (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Weibo, Twitter ) 3. Professional travel blogs Seventy percent of Asian Millennials will take a bus or boat tour where available.

11 10 Adventurous Asian Millennials: When do they go off the beaten track? Top five reasons for taking a trip outside of a major urban hub: See beautiful landscapes Visit family and friends Try traditional or unique foods Visit the coast See specific historic or cultural sites The full report gives useful tips on how to build the right product and message for Millennial consumers from around Asia. It also gives practical advice for destinations and businesses on how to put a dispersal strategy in place. 2-3 nights is the preferred length of excursions away from the city. However 43 percent of those who stayed in a major urban hub* said that limited time stopped them from exploring further. * Urban hub was defined in our survey as the capital or top 3 biggest cities in the country they were visiting.

12 11 Special Features from Top Destinations and Travel BRANDS Expert opinion and case studies from top destinations and leading travel brands on five continents, including: Department of Tourism of the Philippines Eurail Group G.I.E Europe Budget Traveller Japan National Tourism Organization Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives NBTC Holland Marketing NYC&Co TCI Research Tourism Australia Tourism Authority of Thailand TripAdvisor VisitBritain

13 12 Groundbreaking Research and Insights As more young people set out from Asia to discover the world for the first time, the travel and tourism industry has the responsibility to help them travel in a responsible way, and to help them seek the experiences that they are looking for. I am confident that with this report, PATA is leading the way in creating a constructive debate on how this can best be done. Mario Hardy, CEO, Pacific Asia Travel Association This important study by PATA will do much to help build understanding and develop strategies in meeting the needs and expectations of this dominating force that is the Asian millennial traveller. I commend this research and look forward to working with all of our partners in using it to build the infrastructure needed to support this growing movement. Chris Clark, Group Executive, Asia Pacific, VisA

14 13 Find Out More Stepping Out of the Crowd: Where the Next Generation of Young Asian Travellers is Heading and How to Win a Place on their Travel Itinerary Available through PATA Members and Visa Partners: FREE (please use voucher code provided by VISA/PATA or contact PATA Headquarters) PATA Chapter Members: US$100 Non-Members: US$100

15 14 Published by Proud Sponsor Research Partner Media Contact: PATA Paul Pruangkarn Manager - Communications Bangkok, Thailand Tel: communications@pata.org Founded in 1951, the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is a not-for profit association that is internationally acclaimed for acting as a catalyst for the responsible development of travel and tourism to, from and within the Asia Pacific region.