Southeast Asians want individual travel to Australia – poll
The demographic of Southeast Asians travelling to Australia is shifting, with a new generation of individual travellers redefining the traditional group market, a new poll has found.
According to a survey commissioned by travel search site, Wego.com, group travel is in decline and Singaporean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese and Filipino travellers now have a preference for travelling more freely.
The findings are being presented today (Monday 18 June) by Craig Hewett, Wego’s co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer to delegates of the Australian Tourism Exchange, in an effort to reshape the way the country targets the six key Southeast Asian markets that account for 15% of Australia’s inbound traffic.
According to the Wego poll, 47% of respondents identified with the statement: ‘I like to make my own plans, booking my flights and hotels independently’, while only one in five preferred a package holiday. A similar number were entirely spontaneous in their decision-making, agreeing with the statement: ‘I look out for special offers and will take one of those and go.’ Just 14% said they like to travel as part of an organised group.
“The respondents are a representative mix in terms of age and status. A quarter give Bahasa Indonesia as their preferred language, reflecting the relative size of that market. They know what they want and for the vast majority it is not a group tour,” explained Hewett.
Almost half of Southeast Asian travellers use online travel sites, with women accounting for more at 57%. Sixty-one percent of respondents said they also get advice from family and friends, while only a quarter use a travel agency.
Wego also polled Southeast Asian travellers about their plans to visit Australia. A strong 41% said the country was ‘on the list of places I’d like to visit’. Eleven percent have family or friends located there, and 13% have already been and would go again. Only 10% said Australia did not appeal as a destination with 3% not planning to return.
Around a third of respondents also believe Australia is getting cheaper now that low-cost carriers are flying there. A third believe the cost of an Australian holiday is comparable to other destinations in the region.
Hewett commented; “The buying signals are there. Two-thirds of respondents are positively inclined towards Australia and the perceived cost is not a significant barrier.”
In his presentation today, Hewett be urging delegates to prioritise Indonesia in particular. Wego.co.id has recorded 100% year-on-year growth in the volume of searches for Australian destinations, and a high number of these searches are by users profiled as ‘early adopters’ and ‘free spenders’ according to Wego’s demographic analysis. Hewett said he sees this demographic as the new growth segment.
“Australia has everything to offer this more confident, independent and often spontaneous mix of travellers. Southeast Asia as a region and Indonesia in particular are growth markets that Australia has a unique opportunity to develop,” he said.