Asia travel outlook is changing — global travel reporters

SINGAPORE — The travel landscape within Asia is seeing a change, according to several lifestyle and travel journalists.

"Traveller" editor Anthony Dennis, "Tatler Asia" Travel & Lifestyle Editor Coco Marett, "Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, Hong Kong & Macau" Editor-in-Chief, and "Robb Report China" Senior Editor Vincent Zhuang formed a panel at the 2023 TravMedia Summit Asia to discuss approaches to travel stories.

The panel held in Singapore yesterday was moderated by TravMedia's founder and head Nick Wayland, dubbing it as travel journalists talking about "the good, the bad, and the ugly" sides of writing about travel, making it a popular portion of the long-running summit.

"The definition of luxury travel is changing," said Marett, attributing it to travellers prioritizing destinations' quality of locations and privacy, among others.

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Marett shared that less traveled countries like Bhutan are seeing a rise in tourism, while travel hotspots like Bali, Indonesia and Phuket, Thailand are now seen as destinations of authenticity rather than mere backpacker stops.

"There is a large opportunity for Australians in Asia," said Dennis, as his section is a part of The Sudmey Morning Herald. "[Australians] need to be reminded of how good the hospitality and culture is."

Zhuang's outlook on Asia travel is shifting to more nature-based travelling, giving sample activities like cycling or destinations that have minimal use of vehicles to be more in touch with the outdoors.

Other trends Zhuang sees rising are two- or three-hour citywalks going around restaurants, markets, and museums in a given morning or afternoon, and the option for multigenerational travel that accommodates families.

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