Marriott Bonvoy has revealed a major shift in travel loyalty behaviour across Asia Pacific, with hotel groups increasingly redesigning reward programmes around experiences, dining, lifestyle partnerships and personalised benefits as traveller expectations continue to evolve.
According to the newly released Loyalty Trends Report 2026, Indian travellers are emerging as one of the most engaged loyalty-driven travel segments in the region, with 93 percent enrolled in at least one loyalty programme — among the highest participation rates across Asia Pacific Excluding China (APEC).
The report highlights how hotel loyalty ecosystems are moving beyond traditional room-night rewards toward broader lifestyle engagement strategies that integrate food, retail, entertainment and exclusive experiences into everyday consumer spending patterns.
Indian Travellers Driving Experience-Led Loyalty Trends
The study found that Indian travellers are increasingly motivated by aspirational and experience-driven rewards rather than standard discounts or transactional benefits.
According to Marriott Bonvoy, Indian travellers are the most likely within the APEC region to redeem loyalty points for high-value purchases and premium rewards, with 69 percent using accumulated points for major redemptions.
The report also showed that Indian consumers are more inclined than the regional average to accumulate loyalty points through bank transfer partnerships and co-branded financial products, reflecting the growing convergence between travel, finance and lifestyle ecosystems.
At the same time, 41 percent of Indian respondents said they remain actively engaged with loyalty programmes because of access to exclusive experiences, highlighting the increasing role of curated travel and entertainment offerings in customer retention strategies.
Industry analysts note that India’s rapidly expanding middle- and upper-income travel market is reshaping how hospitality brands structure loyalty engagement, particularly as younger travellers seek more personalised and experience-oriented travel ecosystems.
Hotel Loyalty Remains Dominant Across Asia Pacific
The report found that hotel loyalty programmes continue to be the most widely used category across the APEC region, with 66 percent of travellers participating in hotel-based rewards schemes ahead of airline, retail and dining programmes.
Membership retention also remains strong, with most travellers staying enrolled in loyalty programmes for more than two years.
The survey, conducted among 1,731 travellers across eight Asia Pacific markets, suggests that customer engagement with loyalty programmes is increasingly shaped by travel motivations, lifestyle interests and market-specific behaviours rather than standardised global reward structures.
Industry observers believe loyalty programmes are becoming central to hospitality brands’ long-term revenue and customer retention strategies as competition intensifies across the travel sector.
Culinary Tourism Emerges as a Major Loyalty Driver
One of the report’s most notable findings is the growing influence of food and dining experiences on travel decisions.
Across the APEC region, 63 percent of travellers identified culinary experiences as a major factor when planning trips, reinforcing the rising importance of gastronomy-led tourism within the global hospitality industry.
Travellers motivated by food experiences were also more likely to earn and redeem hotel loyalty points through dining-related activities, highlighting how hotel brands are increasingly integrating restaurants, cafes, bars and food partnerships into their broader loyalty ecosystems.
The findings reflect wider travel trends where dining and local culinary discovery are becoming key components of destination selection and travel spending.
Everyday Spending Increasingly Integrated Into Loyalty Ecosystems
The report indicates that hotel loyalty engagement is no longer limited to hotel stays alone.
While 57 percent of travellers still primarily earn points through accommodation bookings, a growing proportion now accumulate rewards through co-branded credit cards, food delivery services, dining transactions and retail spending.
According to the study, 53 percent of respondents earn loyalty rewards through co-branded credit cards, while 48 percent accumulate points through food delivery and dining activities and 45 percent through retail and e-commerce purchases.
On the redemption side, travellers most frequently use points for room upgrades, food and beverage benefits and broader travel-related perks.
Industry experts say the expansion of loyalty programmes into daily consumer spending reflects changing expectations among travellers who increasingly seek immediate, flexible and lifestyle-oriented value from membership ecosystems.
The report found that 77 percent of travellers prefer using points for smaller, instantly accessible rewards, while 61 percent save points for larger purchases and 37 percent use them for exclusive experiences.
Regional Travel Behaviour Reveals Distinct Loyalty Patterns
Marriott Bonvoy’s research also identified significant regional variations in how travellers interact with loyalty programmes.
Travellers in Japan and South Korea were categorised as “Loyalty Strategists,” engaging with programmes in highly calculated ways focused on value optimisation and practical redemption.
Meanwhile, Singapore, Australia and Thailand were identified as “Value Optimisers,” where travellers respond strongly to upgrades, discounts and flexible booking incentives.
India, alongside Indonesia and Vietnam, was classified within the “Experience Seekers” category, with travellers demonstrating stronger interest in aspirational rewards, exclusive partnerships and curated experiences.
Hospitality Industry Moving Towards Adaptive Loyalty Models
John Toomey said the future of hotel loyalty programmes will depend on how effectively brands adapt to evolving traveller expectations and regional consumer behaviour.
“Hotel loyalty programmes must evolve into adaptive ecosystems that grow with travellers, rather than simply around them,” Toomey stated.
“In a region as diverse and fast-moving as APEC, brands that deeply understand local behaviours and cultural nuances will move beyond scale to earn lasting relevance and advocacy.”
He added that Marriott Bonvoy is strengthening this approach through hyperlocal partnerships, curated experiences and initiatives such as Marriott Bonvoy Moments, which offer members access to exclusive events and experiences beyond traditional hotel stays.
Experience-Led Travel Reshaping Hospitality Strategies
Industry analysts believe the report reflects a broader transformation within the global hospitality sector, where loyalty programmes are increasingly becoming lifestyle engagement platforms rather than simple transactional reward systems.
As travellers seek more personalised, flexible and experiential travel ecosystems, hotel brands are responding by integrating entertainment, wellness, dining, retail and cultural experiences into loyalty offerings.
The growing influence of Indian travellers within this transformation is also significant, given the country’s rapidly expanding outbound tourism market and increasing consumer spending power.
With loyalty increasingly tied to lifestyle preferences and emotional engagement, hospitality companies are expected to continue investing in data-driven personalisation, partnerships and experience-led travel benefits to remain competitive in an evolving global tourism market.
