Klook: 77% of HKers intend to travel abroad in coming year

77% of Hong Kong people said they would travel in the coming year, and 39% of them even said they would set off in the next six months, according to a survey conducted between May and early June by travel and leisure e-commerce platform Klook.

According to the survey, over 90% of the respondents did not intend to reduce their travel spending after the epidemic, and 43% more people expected to spend HK$10,000 or more per capita on travel in the future than before the epidemic, suggesting that "compensatory consumption of travel" will come after the epidemic.

The survey was conducted between May and early June, with a total of 2,300 HK people interviewed. Results showed that nearly 70% of the respondents were more eager to travel than before the epidemic. Over 80% of the respondents rated their eagerness to travel as 8 out of 10 or above, and 53% even rated it as 10.

According to Google's data, the number of searches related to outbound air tickets and hotel accommodation increased by 2.4 times year-on-year from April to May. In addition, from April to May, the number of HK users browsing Klook for overseas travel activities and products increased by more than 4 times year-on-year, with the most significant increase in the number of bookings for Thailand travel products, which surged by more than 7 times year-on-year.

The survey also revealed that HK people's post-epidemic travel trend may have changed, with a general increase in outbound travel budgets.

63% of HK people, especially the younger generation, preferred to travel for more than seven days after the epidemic, with 24% of them preferring to travel for 11 days or more, a significant increase from 14% before the epidemic, probably due to the isolation measures.

Regarding post-epidemic travel plans, the survey showed that Japan is the most popular travel destination among HK people, accounting for about 60% of the respondents, followed by Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and Singapore.

Besides, over 90% of the respondents said they would choose independent travel after the epidemic, while nearly 70% intended to join local tours.

Also, the survey found that the primary concern of HK people is the cost of accommodation when they return to HK for quarantine, followed by the need to take extra leave from work during the seven-day quarantine period, and the fear of the virus.

This reflects that there are now more uncertainties when travelling outside HK in the wake of the epidemic and travellers want more flexibility when booking.

Noting that HK people are beginning to re-imagine their travel needs and preferences, Klook's General Manager of Hong Kong and Macau, Kenny Shum, said the company is looking forward to the full re-opening of HK and has been preparing for it, hoping that the company's platform will bring more exciting overseas experiences to its customers.