Marriott Bonvoy’s Loyalty Trends Report 2026 highlights a major shift in how travellers across Asia Pacific (excluding China) engage with loyalty programmes, showing that participation remains high but behaviour is becoming more diverse, personalised and driven by travel purpose and everyday value.
The report finds that 89% of travellers in Asia Pacific
excluding China (APEC) are enrolled in at least one loyalty programme, but
engagement patterns are increasingly fragmented rather than uniform.
Instead of a single model, loyalty is now shaped by travel
motivations, spending habits and local market differences, marking a move away
from traditional one-size-fits-all approaches.
Travel passions are identified as the strongest driver of
loyalty behaviour. The top five travel priorities across the region are Food
& Dining, Nature and Sightseeing, Shopping, Cultural Immersion, and
Recharge & Disconnect experiences.
Among these, Food & Dining is the most influential, with
63% of travellers prioritising culinary experiences, and showing strong
engagement in earning and redeeming points through food and beverage spending.
A growing opportunity segment is Recharge & Disconnect
travellers, who are less likely to initially join hotel loyalty programmes but
become highly engaged once staying at properties.
They tend to travel
with partners and actively use points for stays, spa services and dining,
positioning hotels themselves as the core destination experience.
The report also confirms that hotel loyalty programmes
remain the most dominant category in the region, with 66% participation, ahead
of airlines and retail. Retention is strong, with most members staying active
for more than two years, reinforcing hotels as the anchor of overall travel
loyalty.
Everyday value is a key expectation across all markets.
Earning points through daily spending is considered
essential, while redemption behaviour is split between small, immediate rewards
(77%), major redemptions (61%) and exclusive experiences (37%). This highlights
the need for programmes that balance instant gratification with aspirational
value.
Partnership ecosystems are also becoming critical.
Around half of travellers want easier ways to earn and
redeem points, with growing usage across hotel stays (57%), co-branded credit
cards (53%), food delivery and dining (48%), and retail and e-commerce (45%).
Redemption trends show strong demand for room upgrades (58%), dining perks
(57%) and travel benefits (51%).
The report identifies three distinct loyalty mindsets across
APEC. In Japan and South Korea, “Loyalty Strategists” use programmes in a
highly calculated way to maximise value. In Singapore, Australia and Thailand,
“Value Optimisers” focus on practical benefits like upgrades and savings.
In India, Indonesia and Vietnam, “Experience Seekers” view
loyalty as a pathway to status, exclusivity and memorable travel experiences.
Together, the emergence of these loyalty types reinforces a central finding of the report: loyalty growth in APEC will not be driven by a single regional playbook. “Hotel loyalty programs must evolve into adaptive ecosystems that grow with travelers, rather than simply around them. In a region as diverse and fast-moving as APEC, brands that deeply understand local behaviors and cultural nuances will move beyond scale to earn lasting relevance and advocacy. At Marriott Bonvoy, we are bringing this to life through the strength of our extensive portfolio, hyperlocal partnerships, and curated experiences such as Marriott Bonvoy Moments,” said John Toomey, Chief Commercial Officer, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International. -TradeArabia News Service
