For the most part, residents of Asia-Pacific can travel again. But some are more confident about packing their bags than others. Travel confidence is “diverse and nuanced” in the region, according to a new survey commissioned by the travel website Booking.com. Some 11,000 people in the region were polled about their comfort levels and concerns, as well as their willingness to tolerate the types of disruptions that have become common since the pandemic began.
The rankings
The survey results were published in Booking.com’s inaugural “Travel Confidence Index,” which ranked the places in order of most to least confident.
Key findings from the study include: No. 1: India According to the survey, Indians emerged as having the highest travel confidence. Some 86% of respondents indicated plans to travel within 12 months — a number surpassed only by those in China — though trips in both countries are expected to be largely domestic.
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Moreover, 70% of respondents indicated they would accept anticipated travel disruptions, the highest of the survey. Indians have faith in their country too — 85% indicated India can safely welcome international travelers back, higher than the region’s average of 51%. No. 2: Vietnam The Vietnamese are also confident to travel again, according to the survey, driven by their comfort with regional borders opening again (82%) and confidence in Vietnam’s ability to receive travelers again (75%). Rising prices may be taking a toll, however. Of all those polled, the Vietnamese were the most concerned about costs (53%). No. 3: China Nearly 90% of Chinese respondents said they plan to travel in the next year, the highest of all polled territories. Moreover, 62% said they plan to travel overseas “immediately” after China lifts its quarantine policy. Of those, 43% plan to go to either Japan or South Korea, according to the survey.
Of all those polled, the Chinese are the least concerned about costs (20%) but the most concerned about administrative hassles involved in planning trips this year (46%). No. 4: New Zealand Nearly 80% of Kiwis say they are likely to travel in the next year, with the biggest motivator being to visit family (53%), according to the survey. However, only 49% of Kiwi respondents said they consider leisure travel to be important during the pandemic — 5 percentage points fewer than the regional average. No. 5. Australia Compared with the regional average, Australians are slightly less likely to travel than others in the Asia-Pacific (72% versus 76%). Australians, as well as Kiwis, are also much less willing to share their personal information for the purpose of travel, compared with the rest of the region.