Tourism thriving in Asia-Pacific as Hilton eyes evolving travel preferences

In an interview with The Nation, Ong said the growth is driven by people’s increasing curiosity and desire to travel, which is further fuelled by the rising middle-class consumer base in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We are going to have a large chunk of middle-class consumers by 2030, about 1 billion in Asia-Pacific," he said.

When asked about Hilton’s post-pandemic operations, he said the brand continued to build and open new hotels as travel is an integral part of the human life cycle.

"What is more important is that our customers and travel preferences have evolved," he said. "When it comes to travelling, they are showing this kind of preference to want to understand the community, the culture and so on."

Leisure travellers were the first to return after the pandemic, followed by those travelling with their families. Ong also noted the rise of “bleisure” travellers, individuals who combine business and leisure travel in a single trip.

Ong expects tourism to surge next year as people have already planned their trips. Both leisure and corporate travel trends are returning, he added. However, he acknowledged that tourism recovery presents challenges, as customers now seek experiences beyond just reliable, friendly services.

To address this evolving landscape, Hilton is focused on offering unique experiences to customers, such as opportunities to engage in activities that contribute to local communities.

For instance, he said, DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo runs an urban rooftop bee farm, nurturing thriving colonies and contributing to the ecosystem.

"It is really about what we do as a brand to try and bring the destination unlocked," he said.

Ong also expressed optimism about the planned opening of new DoubleTree by Hilton hotels in Jakarta, Osaka and Vientiane citing the brand’s familiarity and reliability as key factors contributing to their potential success in these markets.