Visa Survey: Europe, Top Pick Of Wealthy Tourists To Celebrate Xmas Holidays

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah SINGAPORE, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- More well-heeled travellers will celebrate their Christmas holidays in Europe this year, according to the findings from the affluent segment of the Visa Global Travel Intentions Survey 2011. The survey of over 1,200 affluent respondents across 19 countries and territories showed that UK (29 per cent), Italy and France (both 20 per cent) as their top global destinations in the next two years. The US (26 per cent) was the only non-European country that made it to the list. Head of premium products, Visa Asia-Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East and Africa, James Lim, said Europe was known for its culture, breathtaking attractions and cuisine. "These factors have prompted tourists to head to Europe for their holidays, with the World Tourism Organisation recently revealed that Europe accounted for more than half of all international inbound tourism in 2010," he said, when commenting on the survey on Wednesda. The survey also showed that the rich spent about twice as much as the average global traveller during their most recent international trip (US$3,255 versus US$1,481). The was conducted by Nielsen in February and March 2011. The survey asked 11,620 respondents from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Taiwan, Croatia, Egypt, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the UK, US and the United Arab Emirates about past and future travel plans. For each market, respondents were Internet users, aged 18 years or above, had travelled internationally for holidays in the past two years or have the intention to do so in the next two years. The affluent segment is retrieved from over 19 countries and territories across Asia-Pacific, Central Europe, Middle East, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Americas but excluded Singapore, Taiwan, Croatia and Morocco due to the insufficient base of 'affluent' respondents that were surveyed in these markets to facilitate a conclusive analysis. The affluent global traveller is predominantly male (62 per cent) and married with kids (65 per cent). He is approximately 41 years old and has an average median income of US$10,819 (Americas), US$4,048 (Asia-Pacific) and $5,382 (Central Europe, Middle East and Africa). During their trip, affluent travellers spent the most on meals (79 per cent), souvenirs and gifts (68 per cent) and shopping and entertainment (64 per cent each). Interestingly, shopping was cited as the number one reason behind why affluent travellers exceeded their planned budget during their last trip. According to Mukesh Valiram from the Valiram Group, which manages a chain of luxury brand retail stores in Asia-Pacific, affluent travellers would always shop when they travel. "An emerging global phenomenon we've noticed is the rise of the luxury premium outlets. "These outlets -– traditionally found in Europe and the US -– are now being opened across Asia-Pacific and are a big draw for affluent travellers looking for a bargain but who still intend to spend a significant amount while on their holiday," he said. The survey said affluent travellers remained optimistic about their holiday plans over the coming years, expecting to travel consistently throughout 2012 and 2013 despite the economic climate. They are expected to plan about seven trips over the next two years –- almost double that of the average traveler who is planning about four trips, it said. Lim said it was interesting to note that the state of the global economy has yet to have a significant impact on the spending habits of affluent travellers. "We have typically noticed a decrease in budgets during such periods and even a cut-back on travel plans. "As such, the survey results indicate that travel has become more of a necessity –- be it for business or vacation –- rather than a luxury for the affluent traveller," he said. -- BERNAMA Malaysia