In 2013, a number of factors collided to help Asia Pacific become the world's biggest regional travel market, generating gross bookings of $326.2bn. With experts estimating that half of the world's growth in air traffic over the next two decades will come from travel to, from, or within the Asia-Pacific region, that growth shows no sign of abating – nor is it to be ignored. So what exactly are the key trends driving this this sea change in travel distribution and what does it mean for the travel industry?

Ahead of the free webinar this

Thursday 13th Feb, EyeforTravel assesses some of the factors driving APAC's phenomenal rise in passenger numbers. These include: rapid population growth, a rising middle class with a growing desire to travel both at home and abroad, vast distances between destinations coupled with poor land transport infrastructure and, of course, the rapid adoption of mobile commerce.

Andy Khen, Group Director of E-Commerce & Distribution, Swiss-Belhotel International

sums it up: "With over half of the world's population living in Asia Pacific, almost 3 billion mobile subscribers and the rise of the middle class in Asian emerging markets, APAC has to be one of the world's most exciting markets for digital travel related trends."

Indeed, one of the most interesting trends is the rapid adoption of mobile in the

region. According to Sameer Poonja, Head of Digital Technologies at Emirates Airline the adoption of mobile commerce in APAC, where the growth trend per capita is higher than Europe, has played a significant role in this rapidly emerging landscape. "Consumers in the region are much more comfortable and trusting in making purchases via mobile applications than in Europe," he says. "This is primarily because in APAC most daily life logistics are done via mobile communication rather than by traditional means." Even a change to a bankcard pin number, for example, is sent via SMS, which is not the case in the Western world.

The growing trend is m-commerce is not, however, without its challenges. Steven

Greenway, Head of Commercial at the low cost airline Scoot, admits that while there have always been challenges, in recent years they have intensified. For one there is the sheer breath of channels available and knowing which to focus your attention on, he says. Then there is challenge of effectively managing each channel. And thirdly, how to understand and maintain control of the consumer – despite rising incomes, for example, Asian travellers remain budget conscious.

Of course, traditional channels continue to play an important role in distribution but new

channels, like mobile and social, complicate matters. The key, argues Greenway, is to find the optimum mix for your individual business model, which requires an understanding of regional, social and technological developments.

To hone your strategy for APAC join EyeforTravel this Thursday February

13th, at 4.30pm (SGT) for a free webinar on the impact of mobile and social media on distribution, and the future of sales for travel companies in the region. Joining us are: Emirates, Scoot Airlines, Swiss-Belhotel International and SaleCycle.

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Corry Gibson
International Marketing Co-ordinator
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Reuters Events (former EyeforTravel)