MasterCard Worldwide Index of Travel Highlights for Malaysia and New Zealand

MasterCard has released the eagerly anticipated results of its latest MasterCard Worldwide Index of Travel report, predicting steady growth in outbound travel across Asia Pacific in the first half of 2008, despite the economic uncertainty clouding world financial markets.  

Below are the MasterCard Worldwide Index of Travel - First Half 2008 Market Specific Highlights. To get the full picture however, it is important to view them in conjunction with the main page, entitled: Steady Growth in Outbound Asia Pacific Travel Forecast Despite Economic Uncertainty.

Due to the amount of data we have cut the Market Specific Highlights into different pages. The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Travel - First Half 2008 Market Specific Highlights features the following countries: Australia and China, Hong Kong and Indonesia, Japan and Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

MALAYSIA - Forecast on Outbound Travel for the First Half of 2008

• 6.8% year-on-year growth • 23.1 million outbound travelers forecasted for the next six months

Survey on Personal Travel

• Key sources of information used by travelers in planning their trips were travel agents (70.4%), followed by travel promotions/fairs (42.6%) and Internet (32.1%).

• Top concerns for travelers when traveling to a foreign destination were security and safety issues (78.4%), followed by losing one’s passport (59.3%) and language barriers/ communication problems (42.6%).

• The main activities travelers engaged in when traveling were shopping (81.5%), followed by entertainment (69.8%) and general sightseeing and scenic spots (63%).

• Most preferred shopping items for travelers when abroad included apparel and personal effects (83.3%), food items (55.6%) and local souvenirs/antiques/arts & crafts (53.1%).

• The favorite personal travel destinations for Malaysian travelers were China (28.4%) and Australia (28.4%).

Survey on Business Travel

• 30.2% of business travelers said that over the last 12 months, there was the need to travel more compared to the previous period.

• Singapore (32.6%) was the most frequently visited destination, followed by China (27.9%) and Japan (25.6%).

• Majority of business travelers (90.7%) used the company’s in-house travel department when making travel arrangements.

• Malaysian Airlines (46.5%) was the most preferred airline for business travel, followed by Singapore Airlines (11.6%) and Cathay Pacific (9.3%).

• International five-star /higher end hotels (30.2%) were most preferred for business travel, followed by three-star/medium priced hotels (27.9%) and international five-star spas and resorts (23.3%).

Environment and Travel

• The majority of the respondents (63.5%) are not letting this affect their personal and business travel plans. 26% said they would make less personal and business trips because of environmental concerns and 10.4% said they would make more.

NEW ZEALAND - Forecast on Outbound Travel for the First Half of 2008

• 6.5% year-on-year growth • 1.0 million outbound travelers forecasted for the next six months

Survey on Personal Travel

• Key sources of information used by travelers in planning their trips were from the word of mouth (46.5%), followed by the familiarity with the place (36.3%) and advertising by airlines/travel agencies/national tourism association (20.4%).

• Top concerns for travelers when traveling to a foreign destination were security and safety issues (31.2%), followed by falling sick without proper medical facilities and (27.4%) and losing one’s baggage/luggage (26.1%).

• The main activities travelers engaged in when traveling general sightseeing and scenic spots (50.3%), followed by rest and relaxation (49.7%) and visit family, relatives or friends (44.6%).

• Most preferred shopping items for travelers when abroad included apparel and personal effects (68.8%), local souvenirs/antiques/arts and crafts (46.5%) and luxury items/jewelry/branded goods (35.0%).

• The favorite personal travel destination for New Zealander travelers was Australia (58.6%).

Survey on Business Travel

• 42.3% of business travelers said that over the last 12 months, there was the need to travel more compared to the previous period.

• Australia (53.8%) was the most frequently visited destination, followed by China (21.2%), and Canada (19.2%).

• Majority of business travelers (50%) make their own travel arrangements.

• Air New Zealand (53.8%) was the most preferred airline for business travel, followed by Qantas (21.2%) and Singapore Airlines (13.5%).

• International five-star/higher end hotels (36.5%) were most preferred for business travel, followed by international four-star hotels (26.9%) and international four-star hotels (17.3%).

Environment and Travel

• The majority of the respondents (78.1%) are not letting this affect their personal and business travel plans. 19.1% said they would make less personal and business trips because of environmental concerns and 2.8% said they would make more.

The MasterCard Worldwide Index of Travel - First Half 2008 Market Specific Highlights features the following countries: Australia and China, Hong Kong and Indonesia, Japan and Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

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