As Asia-Pacific continues to be a growth engine for luxury travel, a new report from the Luxury Group by Marriott International has identified new expectations and travel preferences among wealthy travellers in the region.
Across Asia-Pacific, 68% of those surveyed are planning to spend more on leisure travel over the next 12 months.
Some 74% of respondents are planning to travel within Asia-Pacific, and 88% are prioritising gastronomy as the reason to travel.
One in four of all holidays planned are celebrations.
Three distinct groups of luxury traveller emerged: the "venture travellist" who seeks business opportunities when travelling; the "experience connoisseur", which are millennials travelling for enrichment; and the "timeless adventurer", which are people older than 65 who build their own itineraries and explore places before they become popular.
"The New Luxe Landscapes Report provides deeper behavioural insights and motivations into elite travellers from Asia and the Pacific," says Oriol Montal, managing director for luxury in Asia Pacific (excluding China) at Marriott International.
"Whether it's discovering new culinary experiences, travelling with their family or friends, or looking to forge connections with the local community, our research has identified new traveller archetypes, providing Marriott International with new understandings related to catering to this discerning traveller segment," noted the report.
The research on wealthy travellers in Australia, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and India reveals they travel frequently with longer holidays, especially across Asia-Pacific. An average of six leisure trips is planned over the next 12 months, while 33% of respondents are planning at least seven holidays this year.
Australia is the destination of choice (46%), beating out Japan (42%), Hong Kong and China (27%). Some 69% of India's wealthy tourists are planning a trip to Australia and it is the top destination of choice for Indonesian, Japanese and Singaporean travellers.
The most active and engaged travel market, 89% of wealthy Indian respondents say they are planning to spend more on travel.
Roughly 88% are picking their holiday destination based on discovering a new food or culinary experience, with 83% opting for a destination to visit an award-winning restaurant, while 35% said they would spend more on unique culinary experiences.
When choosing a hotel, 81% of respondents make their selection based on fine dining options, while 83% choose a destination to visit a celebrated restaurant.
Among the traveller personas, the venture travellists prioritise holiday destinations that will generate business opportunities. While they enjoy their vacations with their family and loved ones, they are always on the lookout to secure a deal.
The experience connoisseurs plan their leisure travel as an opportunity for personal enrichment. They travel extensively and see the experience as an investment in their mental and physical well-being. They want to deeply explore a destination, they value personalisation and actively seek exclusive, one-of-a-kind experiences.
The timeless adventurers are keen explorers who want to immerse themselves in a destination. They're less interested in tourist attractions and more drawn to what gives the destination a sense of place, what makes it unique and memorable.