Jakarta, Indonesia – Luxury travellers are twice as likely to plan international holidays, with 52% of Indonesians and 44% of Thais in the high-spending segment intending to travel abroad versus just 25-26% of budget travellers, according to new data from YouGov.
In Indonesia, luxury travellers tend to skew younger, with 40% aged 18–24 and 39% aged 25–34, compared with 33% and 36% respectively among budget travellers. The higher-spending group is also more likely to be male and fall within higher-income brackets, while budget travellers are more concentrated in middle-income groups.
A similar pattern is observed in Thailand, where luxury travellers are more likely to be aged 25–34, male, and in higher-income segments, while budget travellers more commonly fall within middle-income brackets.
Holiday intent remains strong across both segments in both countries, though international travel appetite differs. In Indonesia, luxury travellers show significantly higher intent for international travel compared with budget travellers, while domestic travel intent remains similar across both groups. Thailand reflects a comparable trend, with luxury travellers more inclined toward international trips, and both segments expressing similarly high interest in domestic travel.
Destination preferences also vary. In Indonesia, Bali emerges as the most frequently selected destination for both luxury and budget travellers, making domestic travel the dominant choice. Japan ranks as the top international destination, with slightly higher preference among luxury travellers. In Thailand, Japan is similarly popular among both segments as an international destination, though budget travellers are more inclined to stay within Thailand compared with their luxury counterparts.
Planning behaviours further differentiate the two groups. In Indonesia, luxury travellers are more likely to use destination marketing organisations when planning holidays, while budget travellers rely more heavily on social media and recommendations from friends and family. In Thailand, both segments commonly use social media, but luxury travellers again show greater use of destination marketing organisations, whereas budget travellers turn more often to travel blogs and personal recommendations.
Booking patterns also differ. While online travel agencies and accommodation platforms are widely used by both segments, luxury travellers in both markets show a stronger tendency to book directly with hotels or through tour operators and offline travel agencies. Budget travellers, by contrast, rely more consistently on online booking platforms.
Advertising receptiveness varies by spending profile as well. In Indonesia, luxury travellers show stronger responsiveness to offline formats such as billboards and cinema advertising, while budget travellers are more receptive to digital channels, particularly social media, online streaming services, travel websites and free-to-air television. A similar pattern is evident in Thailand, where billboards perform more strongly among luxury travellers, while budget travellers favour social media and travel websites.
The findings highlight clear behavioural differences between luxury and budget travellers in Indonesia and Thailand, suggesting that brands may benefit from a more segmented approach to travel marketing. The data indicates that higher-spending travellers engage more with curated content and premium channels, while budget-conscious travellers prioritise digital platforms, social networks and price-driven tools when making travel decisions.
