Selling Travel in Emerging Asian Markets

Selling travel in emerging Asian markets is a nuanced issue in the push for greater digitisation. It’s no secret that that travel industry would like to further consolidate its online bookings.

However, the September 2019 MATTA (Malaysian Association of Tour & Travel Agents) Fair in Kuala Lumpur reinforced the important role of trade-consumer selling.

Held twice annually (although a 3rd show, entitled Malaysia Travel & Tourism Mart (MTTM), will be added in June 2020), the low-frills MATTA Fair is a giant trade sale, with travel agents (primarily), hotels, airlines & cruise operators hawking discounted deals.

Even with 1,400 booths, the three-day event (held on a public holiday weekend) is very, very busy.

During our tour of the MATTA Fair, Check-in Asia was reminded of some key tenets about the shifting demand for travel in South East Asia:

1) Price, value and, especially, discounts are key sales drivers among travel consumers.

2) Asia Pacific is ripe for exploring. This is unsurprising given Malaysia’s strong low-cost carrier culture (it is home to the region’s largest LCC, AirAsia).

3) National Tourism Boards are low-key players – with only 14 exhibiting, and only South Africa from outside of Asia Pacific.

4) While consumer fervour heightens for outbound deals, domestic travel is being increasingly promoted – and heavily discounted.

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For more details about how Check-in Asia supports clients to navigate the fast-changing South East Asian travel landscape, please drop us a note.

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