Affluent travellers in the region show strong luxury buying patterns; AI and food tourism emerge as key travel drivers.
Asia-Pacific’s travel industry showed robust momentum in the first quarter of 2025, with hotel bookings up by 10% and air travel increasing by 7%, according to the Spring 2025 Travel Pulse Global Report by Criteo. The region outperformed both the Americas and EMEA, where hotel and air bookings saw flat or negative growth. Hotel bookings in the Americas fell by 10%, while EMEA dropped by 11%. Air travel in those regions remained relatively stagnant, at 1% and -4%, respectively.
The average hotel booking value in APAC rose 23%, a stark contrast to the 2% increase seen in the Americas and EMEA. The report, which analyzed data from over 14,000 global consumers, also revealed that travel demand in APAC outpaced retail sales by more than 12 index points from July to October 2024 – indicating sustained travel interest even beyond peak seasons.
Evolving Travel Trends in APAC
The report highlighted shifting consumer behaviors, with affluent APAC travellers displaying a strong preference for luxury purchases. They are twice as likely to buy high-end products compared to the average global traveller. Notably, makeup purchases among this segment jumped 102%, while perfume and cologne purchases surged 113%, outpacing similar trends in other regions.
AI and Food Tourism on the Rise
Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly influential role in travel planning, especially in activity and excursion recommendations. Meanwhile, food tourism has emerged as a major attraction, with 60% of international travellers from APAC citing culinary experiences as a key priority in their travel plans.
Market Insight
Medhavi Singh, Country Head of Criteo India, noted:
“Today’s travellers are more intentional, tech-savvy, and value-driven. They plan trips well in advance, guided by AI insights, flexible itineraries, and bundled online travel deals. For marketers, it’s crucial to engage consumers at the right time, on the right channels, with data-driven, personalized messaging.”
Criteo’s report also acknowledged external pressures shaping travel behaviors, including rising costs, geopolitical tensions, and environmental concerns – factors that are increasingly influencing consumer decisions.
