Travel is happening globally with growth of more than 7% in international tourist arrivals and over 5% in international tourism receipts amounting to US$1,340 billion in the past year . A new survey from Twitter found that as a region, Asia Pacific is increasing 1 its appeal amongst global travellers. In terms of frequent travellers, Asia Pacific emerged top as well, with 3 out of 4 countries ranked as the most active outbound travel markets.
The research, conducted with over 7,500 respondents across 13 countries including six Asia-Pacific countries , delves into the top travel trends amongst Twitter users and distils key insights from the 2 travel community, providing brands and travel destinations with opportunities to grow their reach and appeal on the platform. Key findings as follows:
1. Destination #Asia
Around the world, travellers have viewed Asia as an exciting destination. The new study finds Thailand, China, Japan, and Singapore ranking in order of popularity among the top 10 global destinations visited by Twitter travellers. US, UK, France, Italy, Australia and Germany make up the rest of the top 10.
2. Top Reasons Why People Travel to Key Markets in Asia
Local cuisine and interesting attractions bring travellers to Asia. 1 in 3 Twitter travellers who have visited Thailand and China, two of the top Asia destinations ever visited amongst Twitter travellers, state that ‘Good food, wine, local cuisine and produce’ are the most important reason for their destination choice.
3. Asia Pacific: Where Most Frequent Travellers Come From
Besides being a popular tourist destination, Asia Pacific is a region where many frequent travellers come from. The study found Australia, South Korea and Singapore having the highest proportion of frequent travellers that took more than 5 international leisure trips in the past year.
4. Safety and Value for Money are Top Considerations Among Twitter Travellers from Asia
In choosing a holiday destination, the top considerations of Twitter travellers from Asia are in line with global sentiment of traveling to a safe and secure destination, as well as one which offers good value for money. Beyond these, travellers from Asia are also attracted to destinations which offer interesting attractions to visit and good food, local cuisine and produce.
5. Twitter Travellers are More Open to New Destinations
Twitter travellers in Asia are constantly on the lookout for new adventures, with 27% of them indicating strong interest in visiting new destinations, as compared to 15% of non-Twitter users. This is even more so when it is their last chance to experience natural wonders around the world before they change or disappear entirely.
6. Twitter Travellers are Receptive to Holiday Ideas from Brands
Twitter users enjoy using the platform in search of holiday inspiration. 1 in 4 (26.1%) Twitter travellers surveyed are receptive to brands sharing holiday ideas as compared to 16.5% in non-Twitter users.
In addition, Twitter travellers take to the platform and social media outlets to decide their next destination choice. 21.6% of them are more likely to consider destinations advertised on social media vs 9.1% for non-Twitter users.
“Twitter is a platform with hundreds of millions of Tweets posted daily, and there is a lot of insight that can help brands achieve their marketing goals. Leisure travel is on the rise in and out Asia, and Twitter users in particular are always on a lookout for new travel destinations,” said Martyn U’ren, Research Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, at Twitter. “Our platform clearly plays a big role in their decision-making process, and travel brands and destinations should continue to appeal to Twitter users’ wanderlust. With short-form video content, comedy and star power, marketers advertising on Twitter can continue to recreate aspirational campaigns and content that will sway Twitter travellers as they plan for their next memorable adventure.”
