Japan most popular ‘bucket list’ destination

Conducted by hotel loyalty program Hilton Honors, the poll surveyed 2,300 travellers in 11 countries across Asia Pacific to gauge the importance of travel in people’s lives.

Respondents in Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam were asked questions about their travel motivations, aspirations and expectations.

Overall, the findings reveal that residents in Asia Pacific place high importance on travel: 89 percent agreed with the statement “being able to travel is a point of pride for me,” while 88 percent said that travel plays a big part in how they define themselves. The sentiment of travel being a strong part of their identity was strongest in Indonesia (97%), India (95%), Philippines (94%), Thailand (94%) and Vietnam (92%).

Meanwhile, Japan’s landscape, culture, cuisine and rich heritage make it the top bucket-list destination among respondents in the region, followed closely by Australia.

Speaking of experiential travel, the survey also found that two in three travellers seek “once-in-a-lifetime” experiences, be it a unique destination or experience. Extraordinary travel is particularly important to travellers in Indonesia (76%), Philippines (71%), Vietnam (67%) and India (66%).

The most popular shared interest among travellers across Asia Pacific? Local food and cuisine.