Beach holidays are still the world’s most popular type of vacation, but not among Asian travellers, according to a new study by Expedia.
This year’s ‘Flip Flop Report’, which examined the behaviour and preference of beachgoers across the world, found that 34% of people said they would choose a beach holiday ahead of any other. This makes sun, sea and sand the most attractive lure for holidaymakers around the world, ahead of sightseeing (28%), visiting friends and family (15%), theme parks (8%) and skiing (6%).
For Asian travellers however, the beach is less popular. Only 22% of Asian respondents said they would prefer a beach holiday, making it only the second most popular pick behind sightseeing (32%). Indian and South Korean travellers (both 32%) were found to be the region’s biggest beachgoers, with Japan (15%) the least beach-friendly nation.
This could however, be to do with the fact that beaches are so common in Asia. Almost half (49%) of Asians said they had taken a beach holiday in the last 12 months – higher than the global average of 46%. In fact 77% of Malaysians said they have travelled to the seaside in the last year, making them the world’s biggest beachgoers, ahead of Brazil (73%).
The most important factors affecting the choice of beach destination is, predictably, cost (70% globally), followed by weather (51%) and trying a new location (45%). Asian travellers however, are more likely than the rest of the world to want beaches with family facilities (43%) and shopping (35%).
Also, perhaps partially dispelling the myth that Asians prefer to travel in large groups, 66% of Asian respondents said it was important to find a destination away from the crowds – higher than the global average of 63%. In addition, 54% of Asian said they would seek out a secluded beach location, compared to 48% of the global total.
Once on the beach, the majority of people like to walk (76%), swim (67%) and sunbathe (59%). But again the priorities are different for Asian beachgoers, who prefer people-watching to sunbathing. Beyond the beach, eating is by far the most popular activity for Asian travellers (80%), ahead of visiting nearby towns (67%) and shopping (60%). While this is broadly in line with the global result, it is worth noting that shopping is the most popular activity for Indian (76%) and Singaporean (78%) travellers.
But beach holidays aren’t entirely without stress; most global (48%) and Asian (44%) travellers worry about having belongings stolen while on the beach, while Singaporeans (28%) were found to be the world’s most scared of sharks and Malaysians (42%) are most worried about drowning. One in five (20%) Asians said they actually avoid swimming in the sea due to their fear of sharks, compared to the global average of 14%.
The Expedia survey was conducted online and gathered the opinions of 8,606 respondents over the age of 18.
Comments are closed.