Traveller Confidence Is High, So Is Interest In Sustainability

THE three markets that are most interested in travelling are also the ones most interested in travelling sustainably, according to Booking.com’s inaugural APAC Traveler Confidence Index, shared at the OTA’s recent industry roundtable event in Singapore.

Speaking at the event organised in tandem with World Environment Day, Laura Houldsworth, managing director, APAC, shared findings of the study which polled 11,000 travellers across 11 countries and territories and looked at comfort levels, motivators and concerns of consumers.

Indian travellers are leading the way for South-east Asia for confidence. “They are raring to go,” said Houldsworth. Incidentally, Jeannie Lim, assistant chief executive, policy, of Singapore Tourism Board, speaking at the same event, noted that India is also the number one incoming source of travellers to Singapore.

Following in confidence are Vietnam and China. The research indicates that Indian, Vietnamese and Chinese respondents were most willing to put up with and/or overlook key travel deterrents in order to travel – which included enduring disruptions and travel costs; as well as confidence with their home countries/territories in receiving inbound travellers. Conversely, a majority of Japanese respondents (75%) expressed uncertainty with border reopenings, as well as their country’s preparedness to safely receive international travellers (82%).

Rather surprisingly, Singapore ranked 6th on the Travel Confidence Index despite having some of the most eased border restrictions in comparison to many markets across the region. Key factors that impacted Singapore’s standing in the index included general aversion towards any disruptions to their travel (65%) alongside that of sharing personal information for public health and safety (57%) and personalisation (45%) – a key element in most countries’ COVID-19 management strategies.