Booking.com Research Finds APAC Travellers Prioritise Emotional Experiences

85% of Asia-Pacific travellers choose destinations based on the emotional experiences they want to have, according to a Travel Daily Media report on Booking.com’s Travel Predictions 2027. The research covered more than 28,000 participants across 32 countries and territories and identifies nine travel trends for 2027.

What is driving destination choice?

Booking.com’s official 2027 predictions say 81% of global travellers would choose a vacation destination primarily by how they want to feel rather than where they want to go. The regional figures have different scopes: the APAC result is 85%, while the global result is 81%.

More than three-quarters of global travellers, or 76%, would use a tool that recommends destinations based on their mood or emotional state. Among Gen Z travellers, 76% would share information with a travel provider to help personalise a trip, compared with 35% of boomers.

The APAC findings place greater emphasis on unfamiliar experiences. Around 75% of APAC travellers are interested in holidays that let them step outside their usual identities, while 41% want to surprise friends and family through their travel choices.

How are travel budgets affecting companion choices?

Booking.com reports that 50% of travellers have reconsidered who to invite on a trip because of differences in spending. The research also found that 51% have experienced tension or disagreements during a trip because people had different expectations about money.

For 38% of respondents, that difference has led them to remove someone from a travel group entirely. Among parents, 61% are keen to travel without their children so they can spend more on themselves.

These results concern the composition of a trip rather than a property’s booking rules. For apartment-style travellers sharing a unit, however, they add a clear consideration to comparing the number of guests, shared costs and available space.

Which unusual trips are drawing interest?

Booking.com’s findings highlight several less conventional choices for its 2027 forecast:

• 77% of global travellers are interested in choosing a vacation that is completely out of character, and 36% actively want to surprise friends and family with their choices.
• 65% are interested in paranormal travel experiences, while 48% are open to seeking contact with someone on the other side.
• 64% would be interested in having an AI agent manage their work while on vacation, and 44% would use that arrangement to take an extra day off.
• Around 75% of APAC travellers want a holiday that takes them outside their usual identities, 41% want to surprise friends and family, and 90% would take a long-haul flight if they could be assured of arriving refreshed.

The findings also point to shared experiences as a way for solo travellers to build connections, with 66% reporting that they have formed lasting relationships through shared physical activities.

What does this mean for aparthotel stays?

Neither report announces an aparthotel opening, a new apartment-hotel brand, a nightly price or a property-level booking rule. The evidence therefore does not support claims that a particular serviced apartment, hotel brand or reservation policy will change because of these findings.

The figures still describe the priorities that may shape accommodation searches: the desired feeling of a stay, the people sharing it, the willingness to use AI while travelling and the importance of feeling refreshed after a long journey.

For wider context, our related coverage includes broader hotel alliance developments and other hotel collection changes. Those developments are separate from the consumer findings published by Booking.com.

When do these travel expectations apply?

Booking.com describes the research as its 11th annual set of travel predictions. It combines data from more than 28,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories with input from employees who work in travel and technology.

The forecasts focus on holiday choices for 2027 and name no separate deadline, launch date or property-specific timetable. The company says the findings identify traveller expectations and behaviours that may shape destination choices, travel services and tourism experiences during that year.

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Sources

• Booking.com Travel Predictions 2027: APAC Travellers Prioritise Emotional Experiences — traveldailymedia.com, 2026-10-27
• Booking.com's 2027 Travel Predictions — news.booking.com, 2026-10-14