Melaka is a popular destination among young Malaysian travellers. — Unsplash
Young travellers are said to be taking the lead in shaping family holidays, according to Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report.
The report shows that Generation Z and Generation Alpha in Asia Pacific are no longer just tagging along on family vacations, they are helping to plan them too.
This insight is based on two surveys: a global poll conducted by Ipsos in June last year, and an Asia Pacific-focused study by OnePoll carried out in August 2024.
The Ipsos survey gathered responses from 13,001 adults aged 18 and above across 13 countries – Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and United States – all of whom were looking to travel within the next 12 months.
To better understand the family travel trends, the OnePoll survey focused on 8,000 Gen Z and Millennial parents in Australia, China, India, Japan and Singapore, collecting insights from families with children aged six to 19.
Based on the collated data, it can be said that young travellers are influencing family holiday plans.
Airbnb’s Pre-holiday Travel Trends also echo this change.
Gen Z travellers in Malaysia are searching on the home-sharing platform 25% more than they did last year. This shows that they are the ones doing the reasearch on where the family stays while on holiday.
Aside from booking accommodations, Hilton found that these young vacationers are picking activities and curating itineraries, too.
Additionally, Airbnb reveals in a press release that Malaysian travellers prioritise convenience and affordability. Many are choosing to explore their own backyard, from Genting Highlands (Pahang) and Port Dickson (Negri Sembilan), to Melaka and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah. These places are said to be rising in popularity among travellers.
For many young travellers, travel is more than just a break from their daily routine, it is a way to learn and discover themselves.
In Asia Pacific, more than half the people surveyed view travel as an opportunity to enhance their education and personal development.
Based on Hilton’s trends report, young folks also travel for entertainment (concerts, musicals, etc) , sports events (marathons, football), and adventure (hiking, trekking, surfing).
Sports tourism has become a major draw for travellers globally, with events like the Table Tennis World Championships and the FIFA World Cup shaping the holiday plans of 35% of young Asia Pacific travellers.
Meanwhile, about 34% of the young travellers surveyed are drawn to nature-based events and accommodations, while 26% are attracted to music festivals, especially K-pop concerts.
A significant 92% of young travellers in the region have taken at least one trip in the past year, with travellers from China, India and Singapore leading the way at an average of two to three trips annually.
