In an era where many economies are walking the tightrope of rising inflation and traveller restraint, Asia Pacific seems to be striding ahead with suitcase in hand and wanderlust in heart.
Criteo, the global commerce media titan, has unveiled its Spring 2025 Travel Pulse report, offering insights and a reassuring truth for the region’s travel sector: the APAC traveller is undeterred. Drawn from more than 100 travel partners, including a strong Southeast Asian contingent, the report paints a compelling portrait of a region not just travelling, but thriving.
Demand Unshaken, Bookings Up
While other global regions falter, APAC holds the line—and then some. In the first quarter of 2025, hotel bookings across the region rose 10% and air bookings climbed 7%, making APAC the lone bright spot in an otherwise patchy global travel landscape. Comparatively, both the Americas and EMEA registered declines across similar metrics.
Even outside the festive peaks, APAC kept soaring. Between July and October 2024, travel bookings in the region outperformed retail sales by more than 12 index points—a testament to a population that views travel not as a luxury but as a necessity. This trend became especially vivid in Southeast Asia in June and July 2024, with travel activity outpacing retail spend by six index points.
In other words, while belts may tighten, travel backpacks’ straps are loosened.
Longer Leads, Longer Stays
What’s changing is not the desire to travel but how travel is planned. According to the report, the average Southeast Asian traveller searches for year-end trips more than 52 days in advance. That’s nearly two months of dreaming, comparing, and clicking.
Marketers, take note: those clicks are golden. Criteo suggests the planning window is ripe for seasonal campaigns, with travellers actively browsing and booking well ahead of the traditional peak season.
Food, Wellness, and a Touch of Luxury
It’s not just the frequency of travel changing—it’s the flavour. Literally.
Six in ten APAC travellers now rank food-focused experiences as a top priority. Whether slurping street-side laksa in Penang or embarking on a Michelin-starred journey through Tokyo, culinary adventures are the main course, not a side dish.
Health and beauty aren’t far behind. Affluent travellers across the region have emerged as the most enthusiastic consumers in the wellness sector. Southeast Asia’s elite are 32% more likely to buy makeup and 27% more likely to invest in skincare products than their global peers, suggesting a clear link between travel, self-care, and personal luxury.
“Experiences matter more than ever,” said Taranjeet Singh, Managing Director of Venture Markets, APAC at Criteo. “And when travellers are willing to invest in how they look and feel during the journey, it tells us they’re not just travelling for escape—they’re travelling to enrich their lives.”
AI Planning: Travel’s New Co-Pilot
Artificial intelligence is also muscling into the travel conversation. In Q1 2025 alone, full trip planning and flight bookings through AI tools have grown year-on-year. Increasingly, travellers across Asia Pacific trust algorithms to suggest itineraries, compare deals, and create bespoke experiences from scratch.
This is no trivial shift for marketers—it’s a seismic opportunity.
As Singh puts it, “Travel planning today is shaped by fast-changing trends, shifting consumer priorities amid macroeconomic changes, and the growing role of AI in decision-making. The Spring 2025 Travel Pulse Report sheds light on how these dynamics are influencing traveller behaviour — helping travel marketers personalise experiences and reach the right audience, with the right message, at the moment it matters most.”
From Insight to Impact
Criteo’s proposition isn’t just about charting travel intent—it’s about transforming it into tangible outcomes. The company harnesses commerce data, AI targeting, and real-time analytics through its platform to help brands inspire, convert, and retain travellers.
And while that may sound technical, the real-world effect is refreshingly simple: turning daydreams into bookings.
As APAC continues to lead the world in travel resilience, one thing is abundantly clear—this region isn’t merely rebounding. It’s reinventing the travel playbook, driven by culture, curiosity, and an unshakable belief in the power of discovery.
In 2025, the Asia Pacific traveller isn’t retreating amid global turbulence and rising costs. They’re simply packing smarter, booking earlier, and eating better.
By Charmaine Lu
