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Figure 1:14
Accommodation Type of Selected Countries

1.5.6

Travel Decisions

The majority of emerging market outbound

travellers make their travel decision one to three
months before the departure of their trip. Fortysix percent of Chinese travellers make their
decision one to three months in advance, followed
by Brazil (40%), Hungary (34%), Russia (33%)
and Poland (30%). Booking holidays three
months or more is also quite common as an
average of one third of emerging-market
travellers book in this fashion. The leader in this
regard is Hungary (38%), followed by Brazil
(37%), Russia (33%), Poland (31%) and China
(28%).

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Figure 1:15
Travel Booking Patterns of Selected Countries

Very few emerging-market travellers book last

minute flights. This is opposite to traditional
markets where last minute bookings is quite a
norm as travellers are time starved and very busy,
with constantly changing schedules.
Travel Planning
Traditional Markets

Last minute
1.5.7

Emerging Markets

Long planning

The Use of the Internet

The use of the Internet to research, plan and book

travel is quite a common occurrence in traditional
markets. This is also becoming more and more
popular for emerging markets. The sheer number
of online users is absolutely astounding.

The Internet is a major

source of travel information
for both traditional and
emerging markets

The Internet user population from the emerging

markets covered in this report, make up over 30%
of the total number of Internet users in the world,
according to Internet World Stats.

Travel and Tourisms Top Ten Emerging Markets

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Consider China for example. As at December 31,

2007, the total number of internet users in China
reached 210 million (representing some 16% of
the population) only five million less than the
United States. By June 2008 this figure was
estimated to have reached 253 million far
surpassing the 220 million users in the United
States. Users also stay connected longer than
they do in the US, spending nearly two billion
hours online each week (averaging 15.9 hours)
compared with 129 million hours per week. For
the US, Chinas largest portal Sina.com is one
of the top five most-trafficked sites in the world,
with over 100 million monthly unique visitors
(Source: Forbes). There is rapid growth in rural
areas as well (40%).
Figure 1:16
Internet Usage for Selected Countries (millions)

Source: CIA World Factbook, 2008

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A similar picture is painted when Russia is

examined closely. There are over 28 million
internet users in Russia (19% of the population).
And according to a survey conducted by Best
Prospects, approximately 83% of Russian
travellers use the Internet to gather information
before deciding on taking a trip.
In Brazil, with over 42 million internet users, the
Internet is the key source of information used
when planning international travel, with an
estimated 75% of all consumer travel-related
research and purchase now conducted online.
Internet Use
Traditional Markets

Well-established online travel
market

1.6

Emerging Markets

Growing online travel market

Travel Motives

We have seen that travellers from traditional

markets were predominantly driven by the lust for
sun, sand and sea. While they are not satisfied
with pure sun, sand and sea anymore, it still
remains a major part of their trip and a overall
motive for travel abroad. However, the main
motives of travel for emerging-market travellers
are shopping, sight-seeing and status-seeking.
Visiting relatives and family as well as
experiencing new cultures are also important
travel motives.
1.6.1

Shopping

Shopping is a main travel motive for emerging

market travellers. For instance, approximately
30% of Indian outbound travel is for shopping
purposes. A similar picture is painted for Russian
travellers. Russians like to shop, particularly
when out of Russia where they assume everything
will be cheaper. In 2006, over half of Russian
visits to the UK, for example, involved some
shopping both for souvenirs and for fashion items.

Travel and Tourisms Top Ten Emerging Markets

Shop until you drop

Russians and Indians like

to shop

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For the United Arab Emirates, shopping is very

popular, perhaps more than in any other emerging
outbound market. For example, almost
threequarters of visitors to Britain from the UAE
named shopping as their most popular activity
when visiting Britain, especially for luxury goods.
The traditional markets boasted about their
suntans as proof of their visit to the sought-after
sun and sea destinations. Emerging-markets
travellers on the other hand, shop until they drop
and take home souvenirs as evidence of their
holiday travels.
1.6.2

Sightseeing

One of the most important travel motive for

emerging market travellers is sightseeing.
Russians for example are showing an increased
interest in new places, rather than traditional sea
and sun destinations. The opportunity to view or
visit well-known landmarks is an important factor
in choosing a destination (e.g. Big Ben,
Parliament, Tower of London and other iconic
images of Britain, centred on London).
Similarly, Brazilians, want to visit fashionable,
vibrant cities such as New York, Miami, London,
Paris, etc. and are not necessarily longing for sun
and sea destinations like the Caribbean.

Seeking out well-known

land marks

Visiting fashionable and

vibrant cities

With the inclusion of new members of the

European Union, Eastern European travellers are
going to visit their new neighbours. Visiting
Paris, London, Berlin and many popular European
destinations is a primary motivating factor driving
travel from Eastern European states.
Activities of Chinese leisure tourists on Approved
Destination Status (ADS) tours are necessarily
somewhat restricted. They tend to be confined to
quick visits to the iconic sights and attractions in
the capital cities, shopping and taking
photographs. However, the variety and
sophistication of ADS tour activities can be
expected to improve rapidly in future years.

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Quick visits to iconic

sights for Chinese

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Chinese have a preference for city holidays (40%

of all overseas trips); followed by beach holidays,
27%, and touring trips, 20%, according to the
World Travel Monitor.
1.6.3

Status-Seeking

Many citizens of emerging markets who are of

means enjoy the status that international travel
brings and are quick to boast about their trips to
their colleagues, friends and family members.
Culturally, there is social currency in international
travel and that is a significant driver for outbound
travel, especially from emerging markets. That is
even more so if the destination is far away and
well known, like Europe or USA.
For Chinese travellers for instance, overseas
travel has become a badge of sophistication and
the further away they travel and the higher the
cost, the prouder they feel.
It is a similar story with Indians. There is a thirst
for status among the young, middle-class Indians
and travel to far away destinations is perceived as
contributing to increasing ones status among
friends and co-workers.
Travel Motivation
Traditional Markets

Emerging Markets

Sun, sand and sea

Shopping, sightseeing and statusseeking

Warmth of the sun

Warmth of the people/culture

Suntans

Souvenirs

1.6.4

Visiting Relatives and Friends

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) is also a very

important factor in determining travel from
emerging markets. For the UAE for instance,
almost two thirds of travellers visit
relatives/friends when on vacation. And when it
comes to the two most popular long-haul

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