A recent survey by Wego.com revealed that 56 percent of APAC travelers are eager to travel within the next three months.
- 71 percent of respondents already have plans to travel
- 39 percent of respondents plan to book once international flights resume
- In addition to the health and hygiene protocols, the mandatory 14-day quarantine poses a major concern when traveling
Singapore, 30 June 2020 – Wego.com the leading online travel marketplace in Asia Pacific and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) released its survey results on Asia Pacific traveler’s travel preferences under the “new normal”. The survey was conducted among APAC-based Wego users from May 21 to June 15, 2020.
Governments are slowly easing lockdown restrictions and restarting the economy. Airlines have begun to resume flights—mostly domestic—in Asia Pacific countries. These latest developments affect people’s intent on post-lockdown travel. Wego survey results show that 71 percent of respondents have post-lockdown travel plans.
Respondents also expressed their desire to travel in the near future. Around 56 percent of respondents are looking to travel within the next three months, while 13 percent are opting to travel later in the year. The remaining respondents hope to travel in 2021 or when the situation is considered safe. The survey also reveals that 39 percent of the respondents plan to book flight tickets and hotels when international flights resume.
Nina Kubik-Cheng, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Wego, said: “Governments, airlines and hotels are adopting precautionary measures that comply with the highest safety standards to curb the outspread of the virus and enhance travelers’ confidence. As a result, we’re expecting to see more demand for domestic air travel in the next couple of months.”
Taiwan, whose response to COVID-19 outbreak is among the best globally, has not fully opened its border yet. Nevertheless, Taiwanese are optimistic about traveling in the near future. According to the survey, around 43 percent of Taiwanese respondents expect to travel within the next 3 months. More than 57 percent of Taiwanese respondents said they would buy plane tickets and hotels when international flights resume.
The majority of Malaysian respondents (42 percent) also stated that they would book their holiday when international flights return. On the other hand, only 22 percent of Indonesian respondents intend to do so. Most of the Indonesian respondents would book flight tickets and hotels when city lockdowns are lifted and as soon as domestic flights resume.
With regard to vacation preferences, 32 percent of APAC respondents expressed their interest in family holidays, while 27 percent are looking forward to having a relaxing staycation. Other types of trips that are also in demand are nature and adventure trips (18 percent) and hometown-bound trips (10 percent). A number of respondents also expressed their interest in business trips, study-related travels and religious trips.
Around 33 percent of Singaporean respondents said that they would go for a staycation or relaxing getaway once the situation has improved.
The Wego survey also shows a number of new concerns when traveling, mainly the security protocol in public places, including airports, planes and hotels, as well as mandatory quarantine both at the travel destination and upon returning. A number of respondents also expressed their concerns regarding the risk of physical contact with others during traveling and long procedures at the airport.
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About Wego
Wego provides award-winning travel search websites and top-ranked mobile apps for travellers living in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East regions. Wego harnesses powerful yet simple technology that automates the process of searching and comparing results from hundreds of airline, hotel and online travel agency websites.
Wego presents an unbiased comparison of all travel products and prices offered in the marketplace by merchants, both local and global, and enables shoppers to quickly find the best deal and place to book whether it is from an airline or hotel directly or with a third-party aggregator website.
Wego was founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Dubai and Singapore with regional operations in Bangalore, Jakarta, Cairo and Kuala Lumpur.
