New Report Reveals Changing Face of Luxury Travel in Asia Pacific

New Report Reveals Changing Face of Luxury Travel in Asia Pacific

By Nishang Narayan

Published on July 3, 2024

The Luxury Group by Marriott International has launched an extensive research report, providing insights into the changing preferences and expectations of affluent travelers across six key markets in the Asia Pacific region. The findings reveal significant trends and shifts in luxury travel behavior, with a notable increase in spending and a strong preference for intra-regional holidays.

Key Findings:

Increased Spending on Leisure Travel:

  • 68% of affluent travelers plan to spend more on leisure travel in the next 12 months.

  • Among Indian high-net-worth (HNW) individuals, 89% are planning to increase their travel expenditure.

Top Destinations:

  • Australia tops the list of preferred destinations, with 46% of travelers planning a visit in the next year, followed by Japan.

  • 69% of Indian HNW travelers are planning trips to Australia, making it the top choice for travelers from India, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore.

Primary Drivers for Travel:

  • High-end gastronomy is a major motivator, with 88% of respondents planning holidays around culinary experiences.

  • 83% of travelers choose destinations to visit award-winning restaurants.

New Luxury Traveler Personas:

  1. The Venture Travelist:

    • Prioritizes destinations that offer business opportunities alongside leisure.

    • Seeks to forge business connections and explore local products.

  2. The Experience Connoisseur:

    • Mainly millennials who travel for personal enrichment and exclusive experiences.

    • Values deep exploration and personalization.

  3. The Timeless Adventurer:

    • Over 65s keen on immersive travel experiences.

    • Prefers unique local attractions over popular tourist spots.

Extended Travel Experiences:

  • HNW travelers are planning frequent and longer holidays, with an average of six leisure trips in the next year.

  • 33% of respondents plan at least seven holidays, with short stays averaging three nights and long stays extending to two-and-a-half weeks.

  • Over 70% prefer traveling with family or friends, enhancing the travel experience through shared connections.

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Insights on Indian Travelers:

  • India emerges as the most active luxury travel market, with 89% of HNW individuals planning to increase their travel spend.

  • Group travel for celebrations and private events is popular, with 38% planning trips with friends and 33% for celebratory purposes.

Culinary Fascinations:

  • 88% of travelers select destinations based on new culinary experiences.

  • 81% choose hotels based on fine dining options, and 83% prioritize destinations with celebrated restaurants.

  • Fine dining remains a key experience, with 49% considering it an ideal night out.

Regional Preferences:

  • Singaporean travelers are the most self-sufficient, with 61% preferring to curate their own itineraries.

  • Australians and Indonesians are most likely to plan extended holidays, with a third expecting trips longer than three weeks.

Sustainable Travel Considerations:

  • Sustainability is a crucial factor, with 80% considering a hotel’s environmental practices in their decisions.

  • 43% look for locally-sourced food and effective management of food waste at hotels.

Security and Shopping:

  • Security is the top priority for luxury travelers, with 91% valuing a safe environment.

  • Shopping for locally made products drives travel decisions for 85% of respondents.

Luxury Travel Insights:

  • Authentic local cuisine is favored by 62% of travelers.

  • Discovering new destinations is considered essential by 78%.

  • Refined craftsmanship and exquisite design define luxury for 80% of respondents.

Oriol Montal, Managing Director, Luxury, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International, highlights the report’s value: "Our New Luxe Landscapes Report provides deeper behavioral insights and motivations into elite travelers from Asia and the Pacific. Whether it's discovering new culinary experiences, traveling with family or friends, or forging connections with the local community, our research has identified new traveler archetypes, offering Marriott International new understandings to cater to this discerning segment."

The comprehensive report is available for download and offers detailed data on luxury travel trends in the Asia Pacific region.

About Marriott International:

Marriott International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAR) is a global hospitality leader based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. It operates a portfolio of nearly 8,900 properties across 141 countries and territories, offering brands such as The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, JW Marriott, and W Hotels. For more information, visit Marriott International and Marriott News Center. Connect with Marriott on Facebook, and follow @MarriottIntl on X and Instagram.


SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

SpiceJet Expands Festive Connectivity to Bihar with New Flights to Patna and Darbhanga

By Hariharan U

Published on October 22, 2025

SpiceJet has announced a major expansion of its domestic network ahead of Chhath Puja and Diwali, strengthening connectivity to Bihar with new and additional flights to Patna and Darbhanga.

The airline has introduced new flights to Patna from Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, along with increased frequencies from Delhi and Mumbai. In addition, Darbhanga has gained extra services from Delhi and Mumbai, further improving accessibility for travellers heading home during the festive season.

These routes build upon SpiceJet’s existing operations to Patna from Delhi, Mumbai, and Guwahati, and to Darbhanga from Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi. The new flights commenced in a phased rollout from October 10, 2025, ensuring greater travel flexibility and convenience for passengers amid the festive rush.

Earlier this month, SpiceJet also introduced special daily non-stop Diwali flights to Ayodhya from Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad, enabling devotees and tourists easier access to the Shri Ram Temple during the celebrations.

Commenting on the development, Debojo Maharshi, Chief Business Officer, SpiceJet, said, “The festive season holds immense significance for millions of our passengers, and we are delighted to make travel home for Chhath Puja and Diwali more convenient and accessible. With enhanced connectivity to Patna, Darbhanga, and Ayodhya, SpiceJet continues to play a key role in bringing people closer to their loved ones for celebrations that matter most.”

The expansion underscores SpiceJet’s commitment to meeting evolving travel demand, particularly during high-traffic festive periods, by offering affordable, direct, and seamless connectivity across India’s key regional hubs.


IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

IndiGo Integrates with Digi Yatra for a Seamless Digital Boarding Experience

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 20, 2025

IndiGo and Digi Yatra have announced a new app-to-app integration that allows IndiGo flyers to share boarding passes directly with the Digi Yatra app. The collaboration enhances contactless, biometric-enabled travel while ensuring user consent, data privacy, and faster passenger processing at airports.

IndiGo, India’s leading airline, has partnered with Digi Yatra, the Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI)-based ecosystem that uses facial biometric technology for contactless passenger processing, to enable this direct integration between their mobile applications. The initiative eliminates the need for passengers to manually scan or upload boarding passes on the Digi Yatra app.

After completing web check-in, IndiGo flyers can now simply click “Share with Digi Yatra” within the IndiGo app to securely transfer their boarding pass. This process ensures that passenger consent is obtained at every step and that only essential data is shared with authorised Digi Yatra verifiers at airports.

Designed with privacy by design principles, the transaction occurs entirely offline through deep linking between the two apps, without involving any cloud or server processing. This ensures data integrity, authenticity, and enhanced security while improving convenience for travellers.

Commenting on the development, Suresh Khadakbhavi, CEO of Digi Yatra Foundation, said,

“Our mission is to transform air travel into a seamless, secure, and paperless experience for every passenger. This collaboration with IndiGo marks a significant milestone in that journey. By integrating our technology directly with IndiGo’s app, we are enabling travellers to enjoy faster check-ins, smoother boarding, and enhanced convenience. As more airlines and airports embrace our ecosystem, we will continue to innovate and support India’s vision for digital transformation in travel.”

Neetan Chopra, Chief Information and Digital Officer, IndiGo, added,

“Every year, we fly millions of customers who trust us for our promise of safe, on-time, and hassle-free travel. This partnership with Digi Yatra takes our commitment to customer convenience a step further by enabling a smooth, contactless boarding journey. We are thrilled to be among the first airlines to adopt this technology and remain focused on leveraging innovation to make air travel simpler, faster, and more enjoyable.”

This collaboration underscores the aviation industry’s shared commitment to digital innovation and highlights growing confidence in Digi Yatra’s secure, paperless travel ecosystem as India moves closer to a fully digital airport experience.


Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

Etihad Leverages Premium Service and Partnerships to Grow in India

By Manu Vardhan Kannan

Published on October 14, 2025

Etihad Airways is focusing on premium travel and customer segmentation to boost its business in India, one of its top three global markets, while operating at full capacity under a bilateral seat agreement with the country.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has been upgrading its services with new aircraft and enhanced cabin experiences to attract high-value travellers. Since relaunching flights to Kolkata in March 2023, Etihad increased its weekly frequency from four to eight flights by 2025. Across India, the airline now operates 185 flights a week to 11 cities.

“We fly all the seats that the bilateral agreement allows us,” said Javier Alija, Etihad Airways Vice President for Global Sales and Distribution. The agreement caps 50,000 weekly seats for Abu Dhabi-based carriers, shared between Etihad and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi. Until the agreement changes, the airline cannot add more frequencies or destinations.

To overcome these capacity constraints, Etihad is building partnerships, including a tie-up with Akasa Air, connecting four Indian cities to Abu Dhabi. The airline is also enhancing the passenger experience for long-haul travellers, especially to the US, with Abu Dhabi’s new terminal and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) pre-clearance. This allows passengers to arrive in the US as domestic travellers, saving time at immigration.

Kolkata is the first Indian city to receive Etihad’s new A321 LR aircraft, featuring a redesigned cabin with just 160 seats, two first-class suites, 14 business, and 144 economy seats, offering a widebody-like experience in a narrow-body aircraft. “This reflects Kolkata’s strong premium travel potential,” Alija said.

Etihad’s focus on yield optimisation and operational efficiency has helped the airline achieve record financial results. For the current year, it expects 21–22% growth in seat capacity, 22–23% increase in revenue, and a 30% rise in absolute profit, supported by expansions in other markets. The airline plans to launch 13 new international routes by year-end, aiming to serve nearly 90 destinations worldwide.

Alija added, “Even if our frequencies and destinations remain static, these customer-focused and operational efforts ensure Etihad continues to be the preferred airline for Indian travellers. We are very conscious that our rapid growth should not compromise the financial gains we have achieved.”

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