In early May, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency.
But should we expect further recovery of international travel in the coming months? And, if so, how likely are we to see a significant uptick in duty-free shopping?
How has APAC consumers’ appetite for international travel changed in the past few months?
Latest data from YouGov Global Travel Profiles show that, over the past four months, most markets in APAC have seen an increase in the percentage of consumers who are planning an international trip (includes both leisure and business travellers) in the next year.
China – which lifted COVID-19 quarantine requirements on inbound travellers only in January – leads with a +10% rise in consumers planning to travel internationally in the next 12 months, growing from 17% in December to 27% by April. Indonesia saw the next largest rise (+4%), ahead of Thailand and Australia (+3%).
Japan is the only major APAC market that saw a drop in consumers planning an international trip in the next 12 months during this period – from 11% in December to 7% by April.
How popular is duty-free shopping among APAC consumers planning international travel in the next 12 months?
Data from YouGov Global Travel Profiles also show that international travellers in the next 12 months from Thailand and India are most keen to shop duty-free, with over half indicating so (both 54%).
Duty-free shopping is next most popular among would-be international travellers from Indonesia (47%), Singapore (45%) and Malaysia (44%), where over two in five say the same.
While potential international travellers who try to shop duty-free do not form the majority in most APAC markets (other than Thailand and India), they still form a larger proportion than those who are not keen on duty-free shopping (those who indicate “Disagree”) – except for Australia and Japan where the reverse is true.
Where are APAC’s duty-free shoppers who intend to travel internationally in the next 12 months heading to? Contact us to find out their top destinations.
Is there more appetite for duty-free shopping among men or women?
Across most APAC markets, consumers looking to travel internationally in the next 12 months and shop duty-free are more likely to be male than female.
This is especially so among such consumers from Japan, China and Australia where more than four in seven are male.
Bucking the trend, however, are Malaysia and Thailand where over half of such consumers are female.
Where are APAC’s duty-free shoppers who intend to travel internationally in the next 12 months heading to? Contact us to find out their top destinations.
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Methodology: YouGov Global Travel Profiles tracks global consumer demand and attitudes towards travel on a daily basis. Data for Australia is representative of the national online population and weighted by gender, age, region. Data for China is representative of the adult online population and weighted by gender and age. Data for Indonesia is representative of the adult online population and weighted by gender, age, socioeconomic class, city tier. Data for Singapore is representative of the national adult population and weighted by age, gender and ethnicity. Data for Thailand is representative of the adult online population and weighted by gender, age, region and monthly household income. Learn more about Global Travel Profiles.
Cover Photo by urbazon on Getty Images
