These trends bode especially well for operators of expeditions and adventure experiences, which are not restricted to just adrenaline-filled activities but also include soul-stirring immersions into the culture, landscape and habitat of rarely explored destinations
Preferences for off-the-beaten-track destinations and experience continue to reign among the well-travelled. Skyscanner’s latest Travel in Focus report found that a majority of budget-conscious (not to be mistaken as low-budget folks) travellers in South Korea are willing to allocate a larger budget, or adjust their itinerary, for obscure travel attractions and destination specific experiences, while those in India are placing their money on itineraries that allow them to delve deep into a single destination.
On the sparkly end of the spectrum, high-net-worth Chinese are prioritising new and unusual experiences, and have become a lot more adventurous when it comes to holiday options. ILTM Asia Pacific 2023’s Decoding the Luxury Travellers Mindset: Spotlight China study, produced in collaboration with affluent research specialist Altiant, reported that 80 per cent of respondents prefer new destinations and experiences while 69 per cent prefer holidays where they explore the local area.
These trends bode especially well for operators of expeditions and adventure experiences, which are not restricted to just adrenaline-filled activities but also include soul-stirring immersions into the culture, landscape and habitat of rarely explored destinations.
Expedition specialists like Quark Expeditions and White Desert have in recent months woken up to the shiny potential of the Asia-Pacific market, while others like Silversea Cruises’ expedition arm and New Zealand’s privately-owned aviation business GCH Aviation are expanding their adventure menu. The latter is even reaching deeper into the high-spending corporate incentive and teambuilding segments, crafting programmes to suit C-suite personnel keen on a fun break between strategy meetings.
This growing affection for expeditions and adventures can benefit Asia-Pacific as a destination too, considering the vast diversity of our region’s geography, culture and history.
