Simon-Kucher & Partners’s latest Asia-Pacific Travel Trends Report 2026 has painted a positive outlook for travel and tourism in the region.
Sharing data-backed findings at ITB Asia’s Knowledge Theatre on October 15, Lovrenc Kessler, managing director and partner, noted that while the Middle East has surpassed pre-Covid visitor arrivals by 40 per cent, Asia-Pacific remains behind in volume. Yet, Asia-Pacific leads in value, with traveller spending per trip rising sharply.
“Asia-Pacific has become the heavy spender,” he said, highlighting the increase in actual spend per tourist as optimistic signals for the years ahead.
Domestic travel remains the largest segment, but regional travel is expected to nearly double by 2030, particularly within North-east Asia, where cross-border movement is projected to rise from eight per cent to 12 per cent. This reflects stronger connectivity and growing middle-class purchasing power.
Luxury travel continues to dominate growth, followed by mid and upscale tiers, supported by the region’s healthy hotel development pipeline.
At the same time, travellers are prioritising experiences over material goods. This trend is visible across three decades of consumer data, as travellers seek quality time with loved ones and unique, localised adventures.
Asian travellers also show a stronger desire for novelty: only 10 per cent of Chinese respondents said they would revisit the same destination, compared to nearly 50 per cent of Europeans.
A surprising find from the study is a strong leaning towards eco-friendly travel – around 80 per cent of Indian and 75 per cent of Chinese travellers are willing to pay at least 10 per cent more for eco-friendly options. This outpaces Western markets.
The report also determined that digital transformation remains a defining force. More than 70 per cent of Asia-Pacific travellers already use AI tools for itinerary planning and translation. Kessler noted two key fronts of adoption: externally, to enhance personalisation and user experience; and internally, to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
He concluded that agility and ecosystem collaboration will shape the next phase of recovery. As travellers become more discerning, tourism players must dynamically balance pricing, capacity, and channel strategy, optimising between OTAs and direct sales, while embedding sustainability and technology at the core of their growth plans.
