Well-heeled Pinoys prefer to travel to the U.S. over other destinations

The charms of Lady Liberty, the glamour of Hollywood and the irresistible low prices from signature outlet stores - these are among the many reasons the United States is the most preferred destination for Filipinos who have the means to satiate their wanderlust without breaking a sweat.

According to a recent survey conducted by Visa International entitled Visa Spending Patterns and Perspectives of High Income Households Survey, the US is overwhelmingly the top travel destination of choice for affluent Filipinos, capturing a staggering 51 percent of the respondents’ votes followed by Hong Kong at 26 percent and Australia at 23 percent.

The study was conducted among the Social Economic Class AB segment market earning a household income of at least PhP 100,001.00 per month. Aside from the Philippines, some 500 respondents each from nine Asia Pacific countries and territories, namely Australia, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan were interviewed.

Aimed to further understand the attitudes, motivations and behaviors of consumers the study produced interesting insights on how Filipinos prefer to spend their money on luxuries and other things. In spite of the recent boom in domestic travel, the survey showed that Filipinos still manage to get a break and travel abroad as a form of relaxation and leisure.

The results also revealed that the respondents prefer long haul travel to weekend breaks as the majority of them go on vacation every six months or less. The respondents were also willing to spend more on long term luxury items and experiences such as a luxury weekend for two.

The study concurred that traveling is an important activity for the family which is the Filipinos’ ideal way of spending holidays and vacations. The study re-affirms the strong Filipino family value of enjoying things together, one of which is through traveling. This indicates why Filipinos scored the highest on the preference of traveling with families with 64 percent. The Koreans on the other hand ranked second with 41 percent.

Shopping, bonding and seeing the world are among the top passions of the affluent Filipino family as the survey revealed that they were willing to spend for it. It also showed that a large portion of the average monthly income of affluent Filipino households goes to traveling. Grocery-shopping tops the list of the monthly spending of the Filipino family while utilities spending comes in third.

In terms of travel reservation, 52 percent of affluent Filipinos will rely on travel agents to book their travels for them but at the same time, being proactively involved in meeting with their agents themselves.

And although the Philippines is still experiencing the crunch of the economic downturn, 78 percent of affluent Filipinos are still keen on travelling abroad which tops their list of passions and hobbies to pursue in the near future.