Redefining the luxury travel experience in Asia Pacific

Hazem Hussein

Hospitality Division CEO, Amadeus

In the movie ‘Catch Me if You Can’, Leonardo DiCaprio masqueraded as a Pan Am pilot by distracting authorities with a bevy of flight attendants as he walked through the airport. While it was a comedic moment in the movie, the attention and admiration that the flight attendants received was a testament to how air travel was at its peak in the early 1950s. Elegant white gloves, serving up decadent hand-carved meat on fine china on tables topped with linen was a common sight. You could even recline your seats without nudging the passenger behind and incurring their wrath as legroom was aplenty. Oh, and did I mention the free flow of alcohol?

Luxury APAC

Air travel has come a long way since its Golden Age. While it has been widely commercialised and made more affordable, the luxury element in travel is making a comeback largely due to travellers’ increasing expectations and demand for personalisation. And it’s the less tangible things like having your favourite magazines handed to you at your seat and being served your usual cup of coffee with milk on the side that traveller’s desire.

Impacting the Traveler Journey

This transcends the airline industry alone and impacts all elements of the traveller journey. For instance, airports are evolving rapidly to include products and services that pamper their passengers – ranging from top-grade spas and premium lounges to themed gardens and entertainment facilities.

According to our research , between 2011 and 2025, Asia Pacific’s luxury travel market will see faster overall growth than Europe’s. As such, offering luxury customers a relevant, personal and exclusive experience will become even more crucial than it is today. Asian luxury travellers have a unique set of motivations and needs. Understanding what drives their travel behaviour and providing a personalised experience will be critical for travel players.

Are you interested in capturing the hearts of Always Luxury travellers by delivering distinctive travel experiences through exclusive amenities such as in-flight Wi-Fi or gourmet meals? Or do you focus on guiding the Special Occasion travellers in their journey by providing an exclusive, tailor-made experience while minimising any potential for disruption? Either way, personalisation is essential in the retailing and merchandising worlds to cater to the needs of these travellers.

In this era of power retailing for empowered travellers , understanding the needs of travellers has become a priority for the travel industry so they can better tailor their services. With this in mind, our report Shaping the Future of Luxury Travel , was created to help travel players offer better end-to-end services to luxury travellers. By understanding their behaviours, travel players in Asia Pacific can position themselves to redefine luxury travel in the region for this lucrative market segment.

Download a free copy of the report here and be sure to take our Luxury Traveller Tribe Quiz to find out what kind of luxury traveller you are.

Redefining the luxury travel experience in Asia Pacific


Asia Pacific, Research