Traveling in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region can be a dream come true for many. And 44% of people who travel to APAC use social media to inform their travel destinations. With so much competition in the tourism industry, businesses need to work harder than ever to capture the attention of customers. But using a social media monitoring tool can help alleviate some of the stress placed on companies to find the perfect campaign to target consumers.
A Profile Built Around APAC travelers
Thanks to our nifty social media monitoring tool, Profiler, we’ve built a profile around people in APAC with the travel bug. We narrowed down who they follow, what they like, and where they want to travel. We found out a shocking 38% of people in APAC are frequent travelers, while another 8% are international travelers. It’s no mystery that APAC was the region with the most travelers.
People in APAC love nature, tourism, and hotels the most, which means that their ideal travel destination would embody all three.
We found that APAC travelers also love Mother Nature, whose wonders can be found in countries like Egypt, Uruguay, Argentina, and even South Korea and France.
Now, knowing all this information, we can’t help but wonder about how APAC travelers make travel plans.
How are people planning their travels?
Compared to 51% globally, 70% of APAC travelers gain inspiration for travel through social media. This means that more and more travelers are turning to social media to find their next destination, hotel, inspiration for activities, and accommodations. Using our social media monitoring tool, we were able to boil down the top apps used for travel planning.
It’s no surprise that people enjoy using TripAdvisor and Airbnb to plan their trips. But, who knew people also loved BuzzFeed and Flickr? It must be because of the images people share for their travel, or the many food destinations BuzzFeed raves about. For instance, BuzzFeed published an article on 24 restaurants that travelers have raved about.
Look at this quirky cafe in Paris called Kong. 
Or this straight-out-of-a-film scene at Taverna Etrusca in Italy.
Hidden Treasures of APAC
There’s lots of buzz from the international audience about where to visit, but what do locals like? Using our social media monitoring and listening tool, we discovered that locals in the APAC region have some “must try” spots of their own. It seemed that food was a popular choice for travelers.
Popular food-related keywords that came up often are rice, served, chicken, dishes, menu, cuisine, fried,grilled, meal, pork, restaurant, street (as in street food), treat, and authentic.
Notice how “rice” and “chicken” are two of the top words, which may refer to the popular Hainanese Chicken Rice dish in Singapore. One Twitter user shared a hot spot called Shaw House Food Republic for the delicious dish in Singapore.
Other users raved about the Chicken Rice Challenge at 289 Xiang Ji Roasted Delights.
Which one is better? You’ll have to trust these locals and try for yourself.
Singapore is often known for their popular street food and dishes. Users on Twitter often use their platform to recommend what they love. According to this Twitter user, people visiting Singapore HAVE to try “satay, rojak, chili crab, chicken rice,” and more.
Other than food, APAC locals also love to indulge in local activities. How about local festivals in Singapore? The Wan Qing CultureFest is held annually to celebrate their diverse and beautiful traditions, not to mention some of the best food around.
Using mobile applications for travel
For over 57% of travelers, they relied on internet reviews for the best destination to travel to. The APAC travel industry should make themselves as readily available as possible during the research stage of a trip, by providing as much information and ad visibility as possible. It would be most ideal to appear first when a traveler is researching a dream destination of theirs! Using our social media monitoring tool, we discovered the top lodging brands for APAC travelers.
Over 89% of APAC travelers enjoy using apps to plan their trips. And many of these lodging brands also have a mobile-friendly user interface that makes planning your next stay convenient and straightforward. So, having a mobile-friendly interface can drastically change a consumer’s experience and a brand’s image. Perhaps businesses should consider partnering up with these travel brands to find the best fit for their brand as well as venture into mobile applications if they have not done so already.
Becoming the Traveler’s First Choice In Air Travel
A research study conducted by Google found that over six different airlines are considered in the planning stage of a trip and just as many are considered when a traveler is right about to book. So, how do you become the traveler’s first choice? Using our social media monitoring tool, we found the top used airline by many APAC travelers.
APAC’s top airlines match the region’s top destinations exactly! Although travelers may be loyal to a particular brand of airline, travelers are very willing to use another airline that suits their needs better. It’s about intercepting at the right time! Providing the most helpful information and most versatile choices can be the winning jackpot for travelers. Making yourself available and most convenient for a traveler can bring in much more revenue and improve your brand image.
How To Market To APAC travelers
It’s important to note that businesses in the travel industry should not forgo the traditional methods of reaching out to consumers in favor of social media marketing strategies. Many consumers reach for online resources when planning for hotels, vacation activities, and attractions. But, more than 63% of responses reported that the opinions of their family and friends heavily influence their travel decisions!
And, more than half of all respondents get their inspiration from T.V. programs, and 39% still plan their trips through traditional travel agencies. This indicates that conventional methods of planning a trip are still very relevant and vital to travelers. But you still have to enhance your social media marketing strategies. That’s why we located the top messaging apps for you by using our social media monitoring tool.
Apps like Flickr, Tumblr and Instagram are all photo streaming services. People often post a picture of the interior of their hotels, airplanes and even their rooms. So, making sure the interior of your business are well-maintained can win brownie points on social media. In other words, the way your hotel, airplane or resort looks is just as important as the services you provide.
Providing the best experience possible
Going above and beyond for a traveler’s trip can seem too extensive and costly in a competitive tourism industry. But, the reality is that it can be effortless and beneficial for your brand. Reaching out to local hotels and experienced providers to coordinate a special deal can drive new consumers to come. It benefits both parties and can improve brand image and attract a new market.
Thanks to our social media monitoring tool, Profiler, the information was provided within a few minutes and helped us analyze the best marketing strategies for APAC travelers. Remember to venture into mobile applications for those that enjoy using their phones to book and research their next travel. Also, be as readily available as possible in order to appeal to your customer base. And lastly, always maintain the beauty and cleanliness of your interiors and provide the best services as possible. But all of this starts with knowing what your specific audience likes. Click here for a demo.
