Luxury travel suppliers from Europe and Latin America are stepping up investments in Asia-Pacific as the region cements its position as one of the industry’s most important longhaul source markets.
From expanding sales representation to tailoring guest experiences, destinations and operators outside the region told TTG Asia they are making long-term commitments to capture growing demand from Asia-Pacific travellers.
For luxury hotel The Store in Oxford, South-east Asia has become an increasingly important market as more families combine leisure travel with visits to students studying in the UK. The 101-room luxury lifestyle hotel, which opened on May 5, 2024 in a restored 1738 department store, said Asia-Pacific now accounts for around six per cent of its year-to-date room nights, with Australia contributing more than 30 per cent of that figure. Key source markets also include China, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“The marketplace for us, and the reason why we’re spending a lot more time now in Asia, is because since Covid there has been an explosion in South-east Asian parents sending their children to Oxford,” said general manager Simon Blake. The hotel owners have also acquired a second Oxford property that will be converted into a hotel three times the size of The Store.
Likewise, luxury expedition operator Delfin Amazon Cruises is deepening its focus on the region. Commercial director Ines Orihuela said Australia has become the company’s second-largest international source market after the US, while South-east Asia is now its next growth frontier.
To support this expansion, the company has invested in culturally adapted guest experiences, dedicated in-market sales representation, trade missions and familiarisation trips. “Building a market is a long-term commitment,” Orihuela noted.
Similarly, Ecuador specialist Golden Experiences & Travel said more than 10 per cent of its guests now come from Asia-Pacific, driven by growing demand for luxury, nature-based experiences in destinations such as the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon. The company has strengthened its regional presence through dedicated sales representation, targeted marketing campaigns, localised promotional materials and participation in major travel trade events.
Meanwhile, Tourism Ireland is also seeing growing interest from South-east Asia. David Boyce said the tourism board’s inaugural participation at ILTM Asia Pacific had generated encouraging early feedback.
“Our market has been predominantly US, but it’s our first time at ILTM Singapore. We got a lot of quiet interest from the sellers… and we’re seeing good uplift from the Southeast Asian market and believe the demand will increase,” he said.
