The Comparison of ASEAN Gen Y Traveling Behaviors: Implications for Tourism Policy Development
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article aims to compare the traveling behaviors of Generation Y (Gen Y) in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or ASEAN Member States and analyze tourism policies that address these behaviors. Drawing on literature reviews and related studies, it examines Gen Y’s travel tendencies, the tourism policies of ASEAN, and the integration of these behaviors into policy frameworks. Currently, Gen Y represents the largest demographic group and demonstrates distinct traveling behaviors compared to other cohorts. Most Gen Y in ASEAN engages in lifestyle and experiential tourism, often characterized as niche travel. Understanding Gen Y’s evolving demands and behavior is pivotal for formulating effective tourism policies aligned with economic and social objectives. Moreover, integrating these insights into policymaking can foster the development of an integrated tourism management framework, contributing to sustainable tourism growth in ASEAN.
Highlights
- Development of a Comparative Thematic Framework: This research presents a new conceptual framework for comparatively analyzing Generation Y's travel behavior across ASEAN Member States through various dimensions such as motivation, activities, and decision-making influences.
- Strategic alignment between policies and behaviors: The research provides an in-depth analysis of how tourism policies across ASEAN countries are designed to meet the needs of Gen Y.
Article Details

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
References
ASEANstats (2025). Visitor arrival to ASEAN member states by origin countries. Retrieved from https://data.aseanstats.org/visitors
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2016) . ASEAN tourism strategic plan 2016-2025. Indonesia: Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (2022). ASEAN youth development index 2022. Retrieved from https://asean.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/4th-VERSION_22313_ASEAN-YDI-Report_Spreads-LQ_23Jun23.pdf
Banerjee, P. (2023). Empowering generation alpha: fostering the leaders of tomorrow (pp. 1-7). In Proceeding of the A Compilation of ISTD 6th Eastern Regional Conference Papers-Leveraging Sustainability through Technology for Agile Organizations.
Beh, L. S., & Lin, W. L. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 on ASEAN tourism industry. Journal of Asian Public Policy, 15(2), 300-320.
Chin, W. L., Tham, A., & Noorashid, N. (2024). Distribution of (in) equality and empowerment of community-based tourism: The case study of Brunei Darussalam. International Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Administration, 25(5), 843-874.
Chusakul, W., & Nonthapot, S. (2021). Travel bubble policy supporting between Thailand and Laos: Evidence from tourist market integration testing. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, 12(4), 948-957.
Culos-Reed, S. N. (2001). Use of social-cognitive theories in the study of physical activity and fibromyalgia: Self-efficacy theory and the theory of planned behavior (Doctoral dissertations). Canada: University of waterloo.
Dagoon, K., Nunthapirat, D., Kanthawongs, P., & Assawaterkiat, O. (2022). A study of Myanmar travellers’ behaviours and satisfactions towards visiting Kyaik Yaik Htee Yoe Pagoda (pp.71-78). In Proceeding of the 3rd International Conference on Informatics, Agriculture, Management, Business administration, Engineering, Sciences and Technology. King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang Prince of Chumphon Campus, Chumphon, Thailand.
Du, Y., Li, J., Pan, B., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Lost in Thailand: A case study on the impact of a film on tourist behavior. Journal of Vacation Marketing, 26(3), 365-377.
Eijdenberg, E. L., Thirumaran, K., & Wong, C. (2021). Emerging yachting tourism and luxury policy mobility: Singapore and the Southeast Asian extension. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Elliott, J. (2020). Tourism: Politics and public sector management. London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Gani, M. H. A., & Subramanian, U. (2022). The influence of social media marketing on consumer behavior in Brunei (pp. 1-5). In Proceeding of the 2022 International Conference on Information Technology Systems and Innovation (ICITSI). Bandung, Indonesia.
Haigh, M. (2020). Cultural tourism policy in developing regions: The case of Sarawak, Malaysia. Tourism Management, 81, 104166.
Hung, V. V., Dey, S. K., Vaculcikova, Z., & Anh, L. T. H. (2021). The influence of tourists’ experience on destination loyalty: A case study of Hue City, Vietnam. Sustainability, 13(16), 8889.
Ibrahim, A., Aguirre, P. M. M. A., & Lee, E. P. (2021). Tourists’ behavioral intentions and travel motives: The case of South Cotabato Province, Philippines. Journal of Tourism Quarterly, 3(4), 206-214.
Jeaheng, Y., Al-Ansi, A., Chua, B. L., Ngah, A. H., Ryu, H. B., Ariza-Montes, A., & Han, H. (2023). Influence of Thai street food quality, price, and involvement on traveler behavioral intention: Exploring cultural difference (eastern versus western). Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 2003(16), 223-240.
Ketter, E. (2020). Millennial travel: tourism micro-trends of European Generation Y. Journal of Tourism Futures, 7(2), 192-196.
Koerner, B., Sushartami, W., & Spencer, D. M. (2024). An assessment of tourism policies and planning in Indonesia. Tourism Recreation Research, 49(6), 1500-1511.
Kraas, F., Myint, Z. N., & Häusler, N. (2020). Tourism and Development in Southeast Asia. (1st ed.). London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Liu, J., Wang, C., Zhang, T., & Qiao, H. (2023). Delineating the effects of social media marketing activities on Generation Z travel behaviors. Journal of Travel Research, 62(5), 1140-1158.
May, M. M. (2022). Motivation and Destination Loyalty of Tourists in Myanmar. (Doctoral dissertation). Myanmar: Yangon University of Economics.
Ministry of Tourism & Sport. (2024). Tourism Economic review. Retrieved from https://www.mots.go.th/more_news_new.php?cid=581.
Muslim, A., Harun, A., Ismael, D., & Othman, B. (2020). Social media experience, attitude and behavioral intention towards umrah package among generation X and Y. Management Science Letters, 10(1), 1-12.
Pahrudin, P., Chen, C. T., & Liu, L. W. (2021). A modified theory of planned behavioral: A case of tourist intention to visit a destination post pandemic Covid-19 in Indonesia. Heliyon, 7(10), 1-15.
Pai, W. T., Phan, K. T., Pham, C. V., Lee, J. M., & Hsieh, C. J. (2024). Analyzing tourist expenditures incurred on long-, medium-, and short-haul trips to Taiwan. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 5(2), 100138.
Patwary, A. K., & Omar, H. (2020). The influence of dissatisfied tourists’non-behavioral approach on overall visit satisfaction: A study on Malaysian domestic tourists. Geo Journal of Tourism and Geosites, 32(4), 1388-1393.
Rashid, T. (2020). Local community and policy maker perspectives on sustainable livelihoods, tourism, environment, and waste management in Siem Reap/Angkor Cambodia. International Journal of Asia-Pacific Studies, 16(1), 1-37.
Rojewska, K. (2023). Generation Y: How to create a travel offer for these demanding customers?. Retrieved from https://www.qtravel.ai/blog/how-to-create-a-travel-offer-for-these-demanding-customers/
Rowson, B. (2016). Modern hotel operations management. (1st ed.). London, United Kingdom: Routledge.
Shao, Y., Hu, Z., Luo, M., Huo, T., & Zhao, Q. (2021). What is the policy focus for tourism recovery after the outbreak of COVID-19? A co-word analysis. Current Issues in Tourism, 24(7), 899-904.
Sibounheuang, P., & Jaroenwanit, P. (2023). Factors influencing a consumers’ behavioral intention: A case of tourism in the Lao people’s democratic republic. Calitatea, 24(193), 212-222.
Soomro, B. A., Shah, N., & Abdelwahed, N. A. A. (2022). Intention to adopt cryptocurrency: a robust contribution of trust and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, 40(2), 419-433.
Sophea, D., Sungsuwan, T., & Viriyasuebphongp, P. (2022). Factors influencing students’ behavioral intention on using mobile learning (M-learning) in tourism and hospitality major in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Current Applied Science and Technology, 22(2),1-22.
Sulaiman, N. S. (2024, June). Brunei Darussalam’s Green Tourism: An Overview (pp. 128-141). In Proceeding of the 4th International Conference on Halal Development (4th ICHaD 2023). Malang, East Java, Indonesia: Universitas Negeri Malang.
Talati, S. (2024). 9 influencing millennial travel trends for the hotel industry. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/35HQ7Tb
The Outbox Company (2024). Southeast Asia tourism performance 2024 recap. Retrieved from https://the-outbox.com/southeast-asia-tourism-performance-2024-recap/
Tung, L. T. (2020). Tourism development in Vietnam: New strategy for a sustainable pathway. GeoJournal of Tourism and Geosites, 31(3), 1174-1179.
United Nations World Tourism Organization. (2025). World tourism barometer and statistical annex. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.18111/wtobarometereng
Walgrove, A. (2015). The explosive growth of online video, in 5charts. Retrieved from https://contently.com/strategist/2015/07/06/the-explosive-growth-of-online-video-in-5-charts/.
Wu, H., & Tsui, K. W. H. (2020). Does a reward program affect customers’ behavioral intention of visiting the airport? A case study of Singapore Changi Airport. Journal of Air Transport Management, 82, 101742.
Yamagishi, K., Gantalao, C., & Ocampo, L. (2024). The future of farm tourism in the Philippines: Challenges, strategies and insights. Journal of Tourism futures, 10(1), 87-109.