Marriott Bonvoy has released a new regional report examining how travel preferences and local market behaviours are reshaping hotel loyalty engagement across Asia-Pacific excluding China (APEC).

The report was based on a survey of 1,731 travellers across Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, conducted by Kantar.

According to the Loyalty Trends Report 2026, 89% of travellers across the region participate in at least one loyalty programme, although engagement patterns increasingly vary according to travel priorities, spending habits and local market expectations.

The report identified food and dining as the leading travel driver across APEC, with 63% of respondents prioritising culinary experiences when planning trips. Travellers motivated by food experiences were also found to show stronger engagement with hotel loyalty programmes through food-related earning and redemption activity.

Other major travel priorities identified in the study included nature and sightseeing, shopping, cultural immersion and wellness-focused travel.

The report also highlighted the growing importance of everyday earning opportunities within loyalty programmes. Across the region, travellers indicated that the ability to earn points through daily spending was one of the most valued programme features, alongside flexible redemption options and broader partner ecosystems.

Hotel loyalty programmes were identified as the most widely used loyalty category in APEC, engaging 66% of surveyed travellers, ahead of airline, retail and dining programmes.

Marriott Bonvoy’s findings also pointed to differing loyalty behaviours across regional markets. Japan and South Korea were identified as Loyalty Strategists, with travellers showing deliberate and value-driven engagement patterns, while Singapore, Australia and Thailand were categorised as Value Optimizers, favouring practical travel benefits and visible savings. India, Indonesia and Vietnam were grouped as Experience Seekers, where travellers showed stronger interest in exclusivity, partnerships and experience-led rewards.

The report noted that hotel loyalty engagement across APEC is primarily driven by hotel stays and co-branded credit card spending, followed by food delivery, dining and retail partnerships.

“Hotel loyalty programmes must evolve into adaptive ecosystems that grow with travellers, rather than simply around them,” said John Toomey, chief commercial officer, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International. “In a region as diverse and fast-moving as APEC, brands that deeply understand local behaviours and cultural nuances will move beyond scale to earn lasting relevance and advocacy.”