The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
A new study revealed that a big majority of Filipinos prefer a multi-destination European cruise vacation, a slightly higher average than four other Asian countries.
Research conducted by YouGov commissioned by a leading cruise line show that 75% of Filipinos see the attraction of travelling to different cities in Europe on a cruise ship.
For comparison, that is one percentage point higher than the average of respondents across Singapore, Malaysia, India and Indonesia.
Nearly half (49%) of Filipino respondents rank Italy as the most sought-after European destination followed by Spain at 43%, which is notably 10 percentage points higher than the five-market average.
After Italy and Spain, Filipinos are seeking to travel to France (41%), the United Kingdom (35%), and Greece (29%). Interest in Italy and France are mostly equal to average of the other markets surveyed.
Ben Bouldin, Royal Caribbean’s Managing Director in Asia and President in Greater China, said that what stood out in the study’s findings is “how much travelers value making the most of their time when exploring Europe.”
“Whether it is visiting iconic destinations, spending time with family, or simply enjoying the journey itself, travelers are increasingly looking for holidays that are seamless, enriching and full of adventure,” Bouldin said. “We believe that is one of the reasons multi-destination cruising continues to resonate.”
The same study sees nearly all (88%) Filipino respondents find at least one traveling factor that makes planning a European vacation with multiple stops challenging, tiring or stressful.
Almost more than half (54%) of respondents the most common source of stress are flight delays and cancellations, with managing luggage between countries, long layovers, and packing and unpacking a statistical tie for second.
Filipinos see cruises as a simpler way of traveling while getting more out of a European vacation.
Nearly half (49%) said a key benefit of cruising in Europe is the ability to see many destinations easily while 51% valued having meals and entertainment included in the trip.
Other factors cited were safety and comfort (39%) as well as not having to pack and unpack between destinations (31%).
Cruise ships (34%) have surged ahead of trains (25%), private cars (22%), short-haul flights (12%), and buses or coaches (7%) as the preferred mode of inter-European travel among Filipinos. For comparison, the five-market average is 26%.