GrabAds, the advertising arm of Grab, released the SEA Travel Insights 2023 report, showing that intent to travel remains strong among Grab users across the region.
The report, with almost 2,000 respondents from the Philippines, reveals that seven of 10 Filipinos plan to travel abroad at least once in the next 12 months. It also shows that 82 percent of Filipino leisure travelers intend to have more than two trips.
The report highlights the diversity of travel preferences, habits and behaviors among Filipino travelers.
It says Filipinos are eager to travel with their loved ones, with 66 percent of GrabAds’ respondents saying they prefer to travel with their families and relatives.
About 47 percent of respondents plan to travel with their spouse, while 38 percent are keen on traveling with their close friends. This suggests that Filipinos are also looking to create special memories with other loved ones during their travels, according to GrabAds.
It says that as seven of 10 Filipinos eye leisure travel outside the country, certain Southeast Asian nations seem to have a distinct allure for Pinoys. At the forefront of their preferences within the region is Thailand, followed by Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.
“Filipinos aren’t limiting their aspirations to just SEA. East Asian neighbors Japan and South Korea emerge as the top two destinations of choice of Filipino travelers outside of SEA, securing the first and second spots, respectively. Remarkably, the United States, clinches the third spot among non-SEA countries in the hearts of Filipinos,” the report says.
Filipino travelers take travel planning seriously as the report shows 59 percent of respondents to the GrabAds study typically plan international trips that take three hours or less at least one to three months in advance. These include designing an itinerary, selecting hotels, applying for visas and finalizing other travel essentials.
The study says 54 percent of Filipino respondents not only set a travel budget, but are also determined to stick to it. This highlights the meticulous planning and financial prudence of Filipino travelers.
GrabAds says brands should seize this moment as an opportunity to transition from short-term “revenge travel” campaigns and instead focus on developing enduring strategies that cultivate long-term relationships with repeat customers.
GrabAds says it can help travel brands stay ahead of these evolving travel preferences by connecting advertisers to Grab’s extensive first-party data.
GrabAds recently teamed up with Mediabank Inc. to build a campaign for the Japan Tourism Agency to create awareness for travelers to ‘Discover Another Side of Japan’ beyond the traditional tourist spots.
“Millions of Southeast Asians use Grab every day, creating a wealth of hyperlocal insights that enable brands and advertisers to build deep and meaningful connections with their consumers,” said Jennie Johnson, head of marketing at GrabAds.
“GrabAds data revealed a massive increase of 84 percent in international travel intent among SEA Grab users compared to just one year ago. Last year, brands may have focused on short-term impulse campaigns based on pent-up lockdown FOMO (fear of missing out) – but they now need to shift towards developing long-term relationships with savvy Southeast Asian travellers as they dream, plan, book and experience travel,” Johnson said.