Amadeus has identified four big trends emerging from the Asia Pacific region which are likely to shape travel, traveller behaviour and how providers react in the next 15 to 20 years.
Advances in technology as well changes in politics and society are already impacting travel and the global distribution company has put together a white paper on the subject.
The Me effect
First up is the Me effect which predicts the market will fragment into more and more niches, smaller groups and individual travellers, moving away from the large, organised groups that have dominated travel in the region in the past.
Visiting friends and family, female business travellers, business travellers from small to medium sized companies and Gen S, or more senior travellers are also predicted to grow.
- Visiting friends and family is the main reason for travel for 20% of leisure travellers rising to 43% for Indian travellers
- In Australia and Japan the over-65s account for more than 20% of all leisure travellers. Overall, an increase of 250m is forecast in the over-65s age category by 2030
- In Indonesia 80% of all employees work in small businesses although small business employees represent less than 20% of business travellers
- In 2011 4.5m international business trips were by woman with a 400% increase predicted by 2030
There's also a willingness to self-manage/book travel via the web with 46% saying they mainly make their own travel arrangements and bookings online.
The Red Tape effect
This will help drive the growth of many of the emerging segments mentioned above as visa regulations are relaxed and free trade agreements open up the region (53 in 2000 compared to 250 in various stages of development towards the end of 2012).
Previous articles talk about the impact of deregulation of air distribution in China and the opportunities for airlines.
The Leapfrog effect
This shows how some countries are skipping the fixed internet phase and moving straight to smartphones and tablets. The study shows 40% of business travellers and 25% of leisure travellers now routinely use these devices for travel travel-related arrangements and bookings.
Social media is also having an impact with just under a third currently using social networking sites during travel. The number is greater in Indonesia were more than half of travellers say they frequently use social media during their travel and 61% say it's to get advice from friends and family.
The Barbell effect
This refers to the growth in the upper and lowers ends of the travel market with predictions that most travellers from emerging economies will be on a budget shaping up opportunities for low-cost airlines and accommodation providers.
The study also forecasts that the global middle classes will be boosted by 3bn Asians within 20 years again having many implications for service providers and how they cater for different requirements in the region.
This clip nicely highlights the Big Four effects:
The Shaping the Future of Travel in Asia Pacific study covers seven markets including China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Australia.