GLOBAL travel search engine Skyscanner has released data on user travel behavior in Indonesia, revealing trends that show which destinations will likely be the preferred places to go to abroad and at home for residents of the world’s largest archipelago.
According to global research firm McKinsey, Indonesia is now certainly one of the fastest-growing emerging markets on this planet, with a thriving middle class that earns more disposable income on average every year.
By 2030, Indonesia’s economy could change into the seventh largest on this planet, up from its current sixteenth place.
More disposable income comes with more travel. Yulianto Balawan, senior marketing manager for Skyscanner in Indonesia, said the information clearly shows that an increasing variety of local residents may intend to travel and achieve this more often.
“Indonesian travelers are becoming smarter. They want to have the independence to plan their own trips and are always looking for the best promotional offers and the lowest prices,” Balawan explained.
He added that in accordance with Skyscanner search patterns in 2016, the ten fastest-growing travel destinations were Seoul, Belitung (photo)Solo, Tokyo, Osaka, Penang, Bandung, London, Male and Batam.
Balawan confirmed that Belitung and Solo were the fastest-growing destinations in Indonesia in 2016 and can remain so in 2017, in accordance with Skyscanner user behavior data.
For Belitung, travel-related searches increased by 90% and for Solo by 79%. This suggests an appetite for unusual experiences and authentic local lifestyle experiences.
Balawan said: “A key element of this data set is the percentage increase in searches and interest for each travel destination in 2015 compared to 2016 data. This shows how popular a given destination was last year and how these trends are expected to continue persist in the future. 2017.”
According to Skyscanner data, Seoul saw a surge in interest from Indonesian travelers in 2016, with an overall increase of 100%. Tokyo saw a rise of 66%, while Osaka saw a rise of 60%. Penang in Malaysia also saw a 60% increase in travel searches from Indonesia.
“These trends in international travel are a natural result of the fact that in 2016, more countries such as Japan and South Korea relaxed visa restrictions for Indonesians. This has made traveling to these countries simpler and hassle-free for Indonesians, and will help these destinations grow in popularity in 2017,” Balawan said.
Skyscanner not only searches, but in addition compares and displays all available flights, hotels and automotive rentals from its direct partners. This in turn helps Indonesian travelers as they’ll see the very best options for them and book directly with their preferred supplier.
Skyscanner also offers price alerts, so users can arrange email alerts to watch prices for his or her chosen routes, even when they are not able to book yet.
Balawan said corporations could also leverage Skyscanner’s travel behavior data from Indonesian users.
According to him, to fulfill the growing demand for travel to South Korea and Japan, small and medium-sized enterprises in Indonesia and abroad could potentially push for more tourism packages and products related to those destinations.
“For example, tour operators could offer food hunting themed tours to Tokyo or K-Pop themed tours to Seoul and beyond. This could help them overcome Indonesia’s increased interest in these destinations while supporting them at the same time.”
