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Blog
Asia Pacific was the year about ME (and you, and you over there) in 2013
Karun Budhraja
Vice President, Corporate Marketing & Communications, Amadeus Asia Pacific
2013 was a year of understanding the modern traveller, seeing new traveller types emerge and develop insights into their travel habits. We have seen the continued rise of the individual traveller, or what we call the ME traveller, with more people confident to arrange their own trips and take control of their itineraries. This is particularly true for the millennials – the twenty-somethings who are eager to travel the world but don’t necessarily have deep pockets in their skinny jeans, and are looking for budget-friendly ways to see the world. They are looking for ways to move long distances by cost-effective means, and get “off the beaten track” to create their own unique travel experiences.
I love ‘people watching’ when I travel. Seeing how people make use of their time in the airport and wondering what takes my fellow passengers across the globe. Over the past year I have observed some new trends take shape and seen glimpses of what 2014 may hold for the travel industry in Asia Pacific.
Female Travellers
Female travellers are accounting for more seats on aircraft than ever before, for both business and leisure.Connectivity has become crucial, with travellers wanting access to information and communication every minute of the day. This has caused an explosion in online applications and mobile devices to facilitate this need. This explosion of technology has created some blurring of the lines between business and leisure travel and the emergence of business tourists, since it becomes easier to work, relatively stress free, while on holidays and easier to add leisure activity to a business trip. I try to extend a business trip to visit family or friends, or take the opportunity to arrange a meeting during a family holiday (much to the displeasure of my wife!).
This year we expect to see a return to packaged trips but in a much more personalised way. No longer a “one size fits all” approach, packages will become tailored to an individual’s preferences and budget. Travel agents will become more like “Travel Stylists”, helping time-poor travellers to customise their perfect trip.
'Staycations'
Staycations will continue to grow in popularity, as an easy and affordable option for a break from the daily grind. Hotels will need to cater specifically to this group, and perhaps offer even more niche packages for interests such as health and wellness, food and wine, or sporting events. Wellness travel in general will be a growing market, as more of us strive to achieve a balance between work and lifestyle, and health (should) become a priority.
Knowing your traveller will become even more important in the year to come. Personalisation will be paramount and data andtechnology will play a critical role.
Over the past year we have seen that Big Data is here to stay, but the challenge this year and beyond will be to analyse and apply that data effectively.
2014 is shaping up to be an exciting year for travel in Asia Pacific and beyond and I look forward to seeing if my anticipated trends come to fruition, or if a new, disruptive trend will again change the way we travel.
Tags
Traveler Experience, Asia Pacific