HBX Group’s MarketHub Asia in Bali shared how the Asia-Pacific (APAC) is entering a decisive new phase of travel growth driven by resilient demand, accelerating technology adoption and rapidly evolving distribution models across the region.
Indeed, MarketHub Asia once again served as a platform for in-depth discussion across a broad range of topics shaping the future of travel in the region from market dynamics and distribution to technology, retail, luxury and partner collaboration.
Speaking to partners from across the travel ecosystem throughout APAC and the Middle East, HBX Group leaders highlighted that while travel has returned at scale, the real opportunity now lies in execution: helping partners convert demand into sustainable growth through smarter distribution, stronger collaboration and technology-enabled personalisation.
The insights shared on stage reflect just part of the conversations taking place throughout the event, as HBX Group and its partners continue to explore how to turn APAC’s growth momentum into sustainable, long-term value across the travel ecosystem.
HBX Group chief distribution officer David Amsellem kicked off the event by saying: “Travel demand in APAC is not just back: it’s evolving fast, The challenge for all of us is how we unlock that momentum in a way that protects choice, drives value and allows partners to grow profitably in an increasingly complex market.”
This year’s MarketHub theme Unlocked reflects that urgency, as HBX Group emphasised that unlocking the region’s full potential depends on bringing together the right technology, the right partners and the right market conditions, and doing so now, while momentum is firmly in place.
APAC momentum backed by data
That market perspective was reinforced by insights shared on stage by Oxford Economics head of tourism analysis in APAC Michael Shoory.
According to Oxford Economics’ latest projections, global inbound travel volumes are expected to grow by more than 60% by 2035, with Asia-Pacific among the fastest-growing regions worldwide.
Shoory highlighted that APAC will continue to gain share of global tourism as rising incomes, improved connectivity and demographic shifts drive demand.
Around 80 percent of the growth in inbound travel to APAC over the next decade will be driven by intra-regional travel, reinforcing the importance of regional connectivity and efficient distribution models.
Despite ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty, Shoory noted that consumers continue to prioritise travel in their spending decisions, underlining the sector’s resilience and long-term growth potential.
Considering the retail, wholesale, and luxury tourism sectors
HBX Group leaders also explored how these macro trends are translating into concrete shifts across MEAPAC distribution.
Andrew Boocock, wholesale director for MEAPAC at HBX Group, highlighted that the region is actively driving new travel flows globally, supported by continued investment in infrastructure, connectivity and digital capability across markets such as China, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.
Boocock also pointed to MEAPAC’s long-established last-minute booking behaviour, noting that smarter pricing, rebooking tools and improved post-booking support can help businesses reduce avoidable cancellations, protect margins and improve operational efficiency.
From a retail and luxury perspective, MEAPAC retail sales director Stefano Zeni highlighted how technology is reshaping the booking funnel, even for high-touch, complex travel products.
Zeni explained that retail distribution is increasingly shifting towards API-led models, while in luxury travel the winning formula lies in blending advanced technology with human expertise.
This shift is reflected in traveller preferences: while 81 percent of travellers say price influences destination choice, more than half say luxury experiences matter when planning a trip, particularly among higher-income travellers and in markets such as China, reinforcing the rise of “accessible luxury.”
A paradigm shift is happening
As distribution models evolve, HBX Group noted that hotel partnerships are also undergoing a fundamental shift: moving beyond transactional contracting towards more strategic, value-led collaboration.
According to HBX Group chief sourcing and commercial services officer Xabier Zabala: “Hotel partnerships are moving well beyond transactional models. As growth normalises and complexity increases, the focus is shifting towards fewer but more strategic relationships built on relevance, trust and scale. The future of B2B hotel contracting will be defined by smarter segmentation, closer collaboration and a broader value proposition that goes far beyond simply selling rooms.”
HBX Group also used MarketHub Asia to underline how technology is already operating at scale across its ecosystem.
Group chief information officer Daniel Nordholm explained that over the past year the Group has focused on strengthening platform fundamentals, prioritising speed, connectivity and usability to remove friction between demand, supply and conversion.
In 2025 alone, HBX Group deployed more than 7,000 product updates, roughly one every 75 minutes, whilst maintaining near-continuous platform availability.
Today, the Group’s technology processes around 8 billion searches per day, supported by advanced security capabilities analysing tens of billions of signals in real time.
Nordholm highlighted that AI is now embedded across core business functions, from customer service and pricing optimisation to personalisation and operational efficiency.
Rather than adding complexity, HBX Group’s approach is designed to simplify integration and allow partners to innovate faster whilst retaining ownership of their brand and customer relationships.
