Asian's Appetite for Travel Remains Strong and Becomes Sophisticated

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SHANGHAI, Feb. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

The 2017 Travelzoo(R) Travel Trends Report* released today by global travel

deals publisher Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) reveals that, despite a turbulent

2016, Asian tourists plan to travel abroad more and spend more time on in-depth

exploration trips to safe destinations in 2017.

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Asian Travelers Plan to Travel More in 2017

When asked about 2017 travel, 70% of Chinese respondents say they will travel

abroad two times or more-an increase by almost 10% compared to the same period

last year. Nearly 30% of respondents in Hong Kong plan to travel four times or

more in 2017, which is an increase of 5% over the same period last year.

"Despite the upheavals of 2016, we see a clearly increased level of travel

interest from Asian tourists," says Vivian Hong, President of Travelzoo Asia

Pacific, "thanks to Asia's ascendancy in the global economy, consumer

confidence in Asia remains strong and it's reflected in the travel industry.

This is especially the case for China. China is witnessing a generation of

millennials that is becoming the dominant force in leading the travel wave.

Most of them are married and have children now. They love to spend more of

their disposable income on a sunny beach holiday with their family."

In the past 12 months, there has been an increase of 10% in Chinese tourists

taking two or more holidays. The number of Chinese tourists who are willing to

spend more than RMB 14,000 on traveling has also increased nearly 10% compared

to last year. 11% more respondents would spend more than RMB 600 per night on a

hotel this year. The number of Chinese tourists who prefer budget hotels has

decreased nearly 5%, while the number of those who prefer high-end global hotel

groups almost tripled.

More In-depth Explorations within Asia Pacific

This year, the Travelzoo Travel Trends survey findings show that destinations

within the Asia Pacific region are notably more attractive to Asian tourists.

Japan continues to top all other destinations. It is the country Asian

travelers most want to visit based on a unanimous vote from China, Hong Kong,

Taiwan and Singapore. Australia is also on Asian travelers' minds, being one of

the top 10 destinations in every Asian country/region and being the second

favorite destination for Chinese and Singaporean travelers.

Survey findings found that for Chinese travelers, Japan and Australia are the

No. 1 and No. 2 destinations they would like to explore in-depth. More than 22%

of Chinese respondents who plan to visit Japan are, in fact, repeat visitors.

"Asian travelers are becoming much more sophisticated," adds Vivian Hong, "they

used to travel primarily for fast-paced sightseeing and luxury shopping. In the

past few years, we saw a rapidly growing number of Asian tourists who prefer a

more personal and in-depth travel experience. They value natural explorations

and cultural experiences the most when they travel in-depth, for which

Australia and Japan are perfect destinations."

Safety is a Major Travel Planning Concern

For the first time, none of the Western European destinations was voted for the

top 5 destinations by all Asian countries/regions. Nearly 65% of Chinese

respondents chose "safer" as one of their reasons behind voting for Australia,

while 50% chose the same reason as part of why they voted for Japan.

"Concerns about safety from terrorist attacks weigh in heavily on Asian

tourists' travel decision-making," comments Vivian Hong, "nearly 80% of them

travel with family so they are very mindful of the security measures. As a

result, destinations within the Asia Pacific region, such as Japan and

Australia, offer a compelling alternative."

About the research

*The Travelzoo annual 2017 Travel Trends Survey was conducted using an online

questionnaire completed by 7,683 Travelzoo members in China, Japan, Hong Kong,

Taiwan, and Singapore in December 2016.

About Travelzoo

Travelzoo(R) provides our 28 million members insider deals and one-of-a-kind

experiences personally reviewed by one of our deal experts around the globe.

With more than 25 offices worldwide, we have our pulse on outstanding travel,

entertainment, and lifestyle experiences. For over 15 years, we have worked in

partnership with more than 2,000 top travel vendors-our long-standing

relationships allow us access to the very best deals.

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Media contact:

Xu Lin

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xlin@travelzoo.com

SOURCE:  Travelzoo