Friday August 27, 2010

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By Sam Devraj  ( Assistant Editor )

Sydney Opera House

MAYBE it’s the beaches, or possibly the food, but Australia and Japan were on Wednesday (August 25) named the most desirable holiday destinations in the Asia Pacific in an annual survey while China replaced Hong Kong in third place.

An online poll of 6,714 travellers from 13 key Asia Pacific travel source markets, by market research group Nielsen, found 40 per cent of respondents would consider going to Australia or Japan in the next two years.

Asked to name the most likely destination for their next Asia Pacific holiday, 17 per cent named Australia, 16 per cent Japan and nine per cent China. Last year Hong Kong was third with nine per cent.

“With the allure of visiting new places, beautiful natural scenery, affordability and great food the predominant factors in what motivates people to pick a destination, the all-round tourism products in these destinations puts them high on any traveller’s list,” said Ross Jackson, head of cross-border business at Asia Pacific Visa which commissioned the survey.

The survey on Asia Pacific travel intentions, commissioned jointly with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), found Australia was most popular with neighbouring New Zealanders where 59 per cent picked it as their most likely destination.

British travellers came second with 29 per cent opting for Australia above all others then Japan with 17 per cent most likely to choose the land “down under.”

Japan was the top pick for holidaymakers from South Korea with 38 per cent naming it as their most likely vacation destination followed by 34 per cent of Taiwanese, 26 per cent of Thais, and 22 per cent of people from Hong Kong.

The survey, which also involved participants in India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, and the US, found nearly half of travellers, or 47 per cent, arranged their own trips by booking directly with hotels and airlines.

Self-organised travel was the top style for people from the US, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia.

But Chinese holidaymakers were most likely to book packaged group tours.

Australian travellers were most likely to take the longest trips, with 23 per cent saying their past holidays lasted more than 20 nights.

PATA CEO Greg Duffell said it was important for destinations and product marketers to find out about people’s travel intentions.

“Given the pressures placed on them to improve returns on investment even as budgets are being squeezed ... it is vital to gain insight into where one’s customers want to go next,” Duffell said.

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