IN A report released yesterday, Sabre revealed a polarising trend in travel behaviour and motivation and found that most Asians travel in order to discover new things.
The Polarisation of Asian Travellers report, conducted by The Futures Company for Sabre, showed that a majority (56 per cent) were driven to travel by internal motivation and the desire to improve themselves, while the remaining 44 per cent were motivated more by the idea of sharing with others.
As well, 58 per cent of respondents expressed a preference for taking control of their own travel bookings while the remaining 42 per cent preferred for it to be managed for them.
From mapping out these trends, the study identified four distinct traveller types.
Most of the respondents surveyed (38 per cent) came under the Explorer type, which values discovery and self-actualisation. They like to take control of their travel bookings and most likely want to plan on the go. To cater to this segment, travel providers can render planning support through on-demand services and platforms.
The second group of Asian travellers are Followers, making up 23 per cent. They are most likely to seek help from others during the planning phase of their trip and four out of 10 typically travel with a tour group.
20 per cent of respondents show the attributes of Connectors. They like to be in charge of the travel planning and their motivation to travel is to share experiences with others. This group tends to travel with friends and family.
Finally, there are the Opportunists (18 per cent), who like to be taken care of. They focus on getting to their destination and making the most of the experience without being bogged down by practicalities. This type tends to be spontaneous in their travel.
