Asia’s rich prefer luxury hotels, beaches

The Visa Affluent Study 2015 shows that Asia’s rich like to spend their holidays within the region.

WHERE do the affluent families in Asia Pacific go on vacation?

According to a recent study by Visa, beaches and swanky hotels are the top destinations for family vacations.

The Visa Affluent Study 2015, which looked into travel patterns of affluent consumers in Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, found that four in every five (82 percent) traveled with their families in the past 12 months, and that they also prefer to spend their holidays within the region.

The most popular destinations were Japan (26 percent), Hong Kong (25 percent) and Australia (21 percent), while the region’s most frequent affluent travelers were from Singapore and China (3.1 trips each), Hong Kong (2.8 trips) and India (2 trips).

“Family vacations have become important occasions that affluent families in the region look forward to every year. However, where the family chooses to go–whether it is for cultural activities, kicking back at a resort, or a shopping and dining extravaganza–is highly driven by the types of authentic and discerning experiences that the destinations can offer,” James Lim, head of Consumer Products, Asia Pacific, said in a statement.

Asked about their main activities when traveling abroad, respondents cited relaxing on a beach (44 percent), shopping (36 percent), exploring landmarks (35 percent) and trying out popular local restaurants (27 percent).

Relaxing on a beach was most popular among respondents from China (55 percent), Indonesia (51 percent) and India (47 percent), while respondents from Hong Kong (46 percent) and Japan (43 percent) preferred to explore landmarks.

About a third of respondents from Japan (32 percent), China (31 percent) and Singapore (29 percent) also preferred exploring local restaurants to sample local cuisine.

“The Philippines, with its abundance of white sand beaches, island resorts and popular shopping destinations, is well positioned to attract affluent travelers. The results of the study present an opportunity for the public and private sectors to boost tourism activities and make the country a preferred destination,” Stuart Tomlinson, Visa Country Manager for the Philippines and Guam, said in a statement.

Upscale hotels (48 percent) were also the top picks for accommodation, followed by luxury hotels (39 percent) and mid-scale hotels (35 percent).

Upscale hotels were the top choice for two-thirds of respondents from China, and about half of respondents from Hong Kong (53 percent), Singapore and Japan (both 49 percent), whereas luxury hotels were the choice of affluent travelers from China (55 percent), Australia (49 percent) and Hong Kong (43 percent).

Meanwhile, boutique hotels were most popular with affluent travelers from Australia (49 percent), Hong Kong (24 percent), China (24 percent) and Singapore (23 percent), the study also showed.

Asian travelers want to sample the local cuisine

“For the affluent, accommodation quality is just as important as destination offerings for a complete holiday experience,” Lim said.

The Visa Affluent Study 2015, conducted in November and December last year, used online and face-to-face interviews with 500 respondents each from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.

Respondents, aged 18 to 55, have an average household income of $73,000 per year.