Travel decisions are no longer limited to bucket lists or discounts. Several travellers across the Asia Pacific are now making repeated choices – not in terms of habit, but loyalty. With several geopolitical trends dominating these moves, travelling also comes with a sense of trust and expectation.
In fact, as per a recent Loyalty Trends Report 2026 by Marriott Bonvoy, nearly 90% of travellers participate in at least one loyalty program. However, with varied factors that influence this dynamic market, travel passions are shaping loyalty with every booked ticket.
“In a region as diverse and fast-moving as APEC, brands that deeply understand local behaviors and cultural nuances will move beyond scale to earn lasting relevance and advocacy,” shared John Toomey, Chief Commercial Officer, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International.
What boosts traveller loyalty?
As per the Marriott Bonvoy report, travel passions are the leading indicator of loyalty. Moreover, several adventure seekers are driven largely by five motivations – food & dining, nature/ sightseeing, shopping, cultural immersion and recharge & disconnect.
Food, one of the biggest driving factors for travel, 63% of the travellers in Asia-Pacific seek culinary experiences and prioritise it while planning their trips, as per the Loyalty Trends Report. Moreover, food and beverage indulgences are a shared cultural activity that can also measure loyalty among travellers.
In the fast-paced world that we live in today, disconnecting with reality has been one of the longest traditions of travelling. Disconnecting from the world and spending time with yourself or your loved ones has been one of the primary goals of vacations and trips.
Seen more evidently today, it is also one of the biggest variants that can make or break one’s loyalty towards an experience, especially when it comes to accommodation. A traveller is likely to return to favourable stays not just as a pit-stop but as a destination.
Shopping, food, nature – What drives Indian travel
India’s growing emphasis on travel trends is dominated by the culture. Along with Indonesia and Vietnam, these three countries approach loyalty with emotion, but the transactional nature of it is not forgotten. Savings over the rest, travellers from India, Vietnam, and Indonesia also show a rising affluence and represent the region’s strongest growth engine. Travelers from this region also seek VIP access as compared to the other demographic regions.
Overall, in India, travellers are likely to travel for shopping over food, while 93% of them still participate in loyalty programs. And 41% of these stay in these programs in the aspirational hope to access exclusive experiences, as per the Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC) Loyalty Trends Report 2026 by Marriott Bonvoy.
It added that 62% Indian travels seek nature and sightseeing as the major reason behind travel, largely driven by millennials. As work and leisure constantly blurs the lines, food and dining also drove 61% Indians, while shopping comes to a close 56%. However, India leads as the top country with travellers driven by shopping, followed by Singapore in the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan Plans Strategically, Thailand Seeks Flexibility: How Asians Differ on Travel Loyalty
With various socio-economic conditions and cultural motivations, ‘Asia’ no longer carries a similar approach to travel. While the geographical boundaries may point to a resemblance, the cultural differences tell a different tale.
While Japanese and South Korean travellers prioritise intention, Thailand may relate to flexibility. Marriott Bonvoy revealed three major loyalty mindsets across such regions.
Travellers from Japan and South Korea are loyalty strategists. They tend to be rational and optimised, and use loyalty programs as strategic tools. With their culture giving huge weightage to values and tradition, travellers tend to prioritise disciplined earning and cards to pay for their travel.
For the Japanese and South Koreans, loyalty is more than discounts. It is novelty and aspiration, along with consistency, simplicity, and efficiency, as outlined in the Loyalty Trends Report.
On the other hand, travellers in Thailand, along with Singapore, are active but selective. This means that they value loyalty, but also prioritise improvement and flexibility. Moreover, they are also likely to respond to incentives, upgrades, and bonuses, pointing towards a liking for practical perks.
Overall, shopping and cultural immersion is the leading factor for solo travel. In fact, independent adventure seekers are least likely to go travel to recharge, suggestion restoration is often seen as a collective journey.