Priority Pass survey reveals pent-up flight demand and changing travel sentiments in Asia Pacific

ASIA PACIFIC/INTERNATIONAL. A study by Priority Pass has revealed that more than three quarters (77%) of frequent flyers in the Asia Pacific region expect to travel in the next 12 months (from March 2021). However, the new research from the Collinson company also finds that travel restrictions, including the use of quarantines, and low vaccination rates are a barrier to that pent-up demand being fulfilled.

The study, which canvassed more than 46,000 members of the Priority Pass traveller experience programme, indicates that leisure travel will make up more than half of trips (55%) taken in the next year.

While business travel will recover more slowly, the survey also found that there is demand from frequent flyers for it to return, with the expectation that business travel will account for 45% of flights taken in the next year globally.

Some 41% of Asia Pacific respondents stated that being vaccinated against COVID-19 would be the top reason for encouraging them to travel, while 33% said that the lifting of international travel bans would be their number one reason.

An encouraging finding which Collinson suggested “will likely be reassuring to the travel industry” was that, when questioned on the possibility of travelling by air in the next 12 months, 78% of Priority Pass members globally expressed feelings of excitement and 61% felt confident about the prospect.

The research also found that the desire among travellers to keep health risks to a minimum has resulted in changes to the way people want to experience the airport environment. In the COVID-19-shaped world, 24% of global respondents said they are more likely to use unmanned facilities, such as biometric passport kiosks, and 48% are more likely to use airport lounge access than they would have done before the pandemic.

The other findings in this area included that 20% of survey respondents are more likely to pre-order and collect their food and drinks before departure in the airport and 49% indicated that social distancing and contactless transactions at the airport are of a relatively high importance when travelling.

Despite relatively low COVID-19 vaccination rates in the Asia Pacific region to date, 79% of travellers cite a growing confidence in the safety of air travel as more people are vaccinated.

The research also revealed significant support around digital health certificates, with 82% of Asia Pacific respondents saying they would be happy to use one – a higher proportion than the global average of 74%.

Some 76% of Priority Pass members say they would feel confident to travel internationally if getting vaccinated became a mandatory measure. This sentiment is echoed by a further 64% of travellers who agree that COVID-19 testing and the use of digital health certificates would encourage them to travel abroad.

With the use of extended quarantines relating to travel still causing controversy around the world, 60% of Asia Pacific travellers do not feel it is an essential safety measure; while a further 69% see it as a major deterrent for international travel.

Some 83% of the Asia Pacific respondents blame the additional costs involved and 69% also cite the unpredictable nature of rules as reasons behind the largely negative sentiments towards quarantines.

Collinson President, Asia Pacific Todd Handcock said: “In APAC, it is clear that travellers are ready to get moving again if the right protocols are in place – so we need to focus our efforts on delivering a return journey that is seamless, safe, enjoyable and helps build on these initial signs of traveller confidence and excitement.

“Working together to help reduce the impact of identified barriers will prove essential; as will communication and collaboration between all players in the travel ecosystem, governments and other relevant bodies to enable to implementation of globally consistent and accepted travel health solutions.”

Collinson Managing Director of Travel Experiences Andy Besant said: “It’s clear those travellers who were frequent flyers before COVID-19 are ready and waiting to get on a plane as long as the right measures, such as social distancing and contactless transactions, are in place.

“But the travel experience will change, with traveller demand for greater automation and socially-distanced spaces such as lounges, in order to balance the upheaval of the past year.”