Marriott International’s Luxury Group has released its 2025 “Intentional Traveler” report, surveying 1,750 high-net-worth travelers across seven Asia Pacific markets, revealing a fundamental shift toward purpose-driven luxury travel prioritizing wellness, personalization, and meaningful experiences over volume and extravagance.
Key Findings:
- Wellness Priority: 90% cite wellness experiences as key booking factors (up from 80% in 2024)
- Increased Spending: 72% plan to boost luxury travel spending, led by Australia (85%), Indonesia (81%), and Singapore (80%)
- Destination Loyalty: 93% prefer returning to beloved destinations for deeper exploration
- Emerging Markets: Bangladesh (26%), New Zealand (24%), and Cambodia (23%) crack the top 10 destinations
Travel Pattern Shifts:
- Nature Focus: 92% prioritize being close to nature; countryside getaways up from 19% to 28%
- Safari Surge: Wildlife safaris interest up 30%
- Solo Parent Travel: Grew from 15% to 24% in one year
- Venture Travel: 86% explore business opportunities while traveling (up from 69%)
Average short stays extended from 3 to 4 nights, with 62% planning every detail months in advance.
Unique Insight: The explosive growth in solo parent travel (from 15% to 24%) signals a profound cultural shift in Asian luxury travel. This demographic prioritizes educational experiences (38%) and safaris (35%) for their children, suggesting that affluent parents are using travel as a primary tool for child development rather than relaxation. This trend, combined with the rise in “Venture Travelists” mixing business with leisure, indicates that modern luxury travelers view trips as investments in personal and familial growth rather than escapism – fundamentally redefining what constitutes luxury in the post-pandemic era.
