5 Experience-driven Travel Trends Shaping APAC Travellers’ Journeys Today
Travel today is no longer about ticking off a bucket list or “must-see” sights. For travellers, especially across the Asia Pacific, it is about creating meaningful journeys where people say goodbye to rushed itineraries, crowded bus tours and shallow checklists. The future of travel is defined by personalisation, authenticity, local interaction, and sensory immersion—experiences that have them coming home changed.
In a recent PATA webinar, Scott Wegener, Director, APAC at Tripadvisor, unpacked key insights from Tripadvisor’s first-ever Trendcast 2025 report, built from millions of searches, reviews, and bookings on the platform with 250M+ unique users, 35M of which are from Asia Pacific alone. The webinar focused on how experience-driven travel is transforming—and what destinations can do to stay competitive.
Inspired by said webinar, this article highlights how meaningful experiences are now the core of a trip, focusing on five of the most powerful trends identified in Tripadvisor’s Trendcast.
Before we dive into these pressing trends, the data tells a clear story: experiences are central to how people plan and spend for a trip.
Experience is priority, and Asia Pacific is leading the shift
In Tripadvisor’s global survey, over 90% of Asia Pacific travellers say experiences and activities are a key and intentional part of their travel budget, higher than the global average of 85%. Additionally, outbound Asia Pacific travellers exhibit a strong desire for destinations that offer unique cultural experiences, seeking places that provide connection, meaning and authenticity.
Top 10 Asia Pacific destinations viewed by Asia Pacific Tripadvisor users: Japan, Thailand, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Korea (ROK), and the Philippines. In particular, Japan, China, Vietnam, and Korea (ROK) are seeing the largest year-on-year percentage increase in interest in the region.
Top seven Asia Pacific source markets: India, Japan, Australia, Korea (ROK), Singapore, China, and Thailand.
A clear shift is emerging: with global changes involving geopolitical, practical, cultural and experiential motivations, travellers are increasingly drawn to destinations that feel both inspiring and accessible—offering a strong sense of place, safety, and value for money. This shapes not only where they go, but how they choose to spend their time.
Learn more about top-ranked destinations>
From “I Was There” to “I Was Changed There”: 5 Experience-driven Travel Trends
Let’s get into the Top 5 trends shaping experience-driven travel!
‘Investigative Eating’ is part of the journey
Farm-to-table has been around for quite a while, but travellers today want to know the full story behind the plate. This trend reflects a growing desire for a bigger picture, as people seek out farms, markets, and community food spaces.
Tripadvisor’s data shares a 105% increase in farm-to-table, 120% increase in local produce, 65% increase in food sustainability searches and mentions, along with a rise in bookings for culinary experiences on the platform.
The evolution of beauty and self-care voyages
Beauty-minded travellers are now seeking out local rituals & cutting-edge new technologies, centring their trips around beauty treatments they could not get anywhere else. With the rise of social media and influencer culture, new beauty innovations, and accessible travel packages, it is easier for travellers to invest in beauty and wellness experiences around the world.
Year-on-year increases in Tripadvisor views, searches, and bookings for beauty treatments and experiences are striking, with spas up by 389%, red-light therapy searches up by 433%, and skincare experiences up by 400%. To attract this market, destinations should showcase unique local beauty rituals and innovative technologies that cannot be found anywhere else.
Deepened connections with water
Trendcast data shows that travellers now use water as a way to relax, heal, and tap into a deeper connection with nature. Destinations can activate this target group by providing activities that connect them with water. For example, diving operators in the Philippines, Mozambique, and Fiji are transforming underwater adventures into shared conservation missions, allowing travellers to be part of marine life rescue missions.
Asia Pacific travellers have also come to celebrate and take part in cultural festivities, rituals, and holy ceremonies—such as the Kumbh Mela festival in India and Songkran in Thailand.
Engaging with all five senses
The Asia Pacific travellers now seek multi-sensory journeys that can support mental wellbeing and deeper self-connection. They want the visceral, the gritty massage of sand between the toes, the sound of tide pool bubbles, and the smell of citrus orchards as time flies, away from their screens.
Hotels, spas, and cultural venues have begun delivering immersive experiences that engage all the senses—sights, sounds, smell, touch, and even taste. From forest bathing in Japan to guided natural tours, and wrapping up with an elegant meal, it is a full-circle experience of what it means to immerse oneself in the destination.
Nano Neighbourhoods are a hit
Asia Pacific travellers are now taking their time to explore single destinations, rather than aiming to visit as many spots or cities as possible. With concerns of overtourism and a growing desire for authenticity—such as to experience unique crafts, food, and heritage on a smaller, more personalised scale—people are zooming in on single neighbourhoods or even single streets to find the experiences they cannot get from tourist guidebooks.
Data revealed there was a 97% increase in searches & mentions for Katong/Joo Chiat in Singapore, a 100% year-on-year increase for Ari in Bangkok, and over 72% more searches for Yongkang Street in Taipei.
Check out Trendcast 2025, Tripadvisor’s continuous initiative to uncover micro-trends and cultural shifts that are rewriting the way people travel, outlining fourteen emerging trends that signal demand for experience-led journeys. The next issue is expected to be released in February/March 2026!
Dive deeper into Scott’s insights about these key travel trends, destination examples, and Q&A insights on sustainability and technology—watch the full webinar recording>
This article is guest-authored by Ram Cartney Cortez, Q4 2025 PATA Marketing Intern.