The age-old quandary of whether to include breakfast in your hotel bookings persists. However, Agoda, a prominent travel and booking platform, decided to investigate this pattern, analyzing the booking habits of travelers across Asia and ranking their breakfast preferences.
Taiwanese Lead the Pack, Japanese, and Malaysians Not So Keen
Their findings indicate that over the past two months, travelers from Taiwan were the most inclined to include breakfast in their accommodation bookings. In fact, 46% of Taiwanese travelers made such a choice, followed by Vietnamese (43%) and Indian travelers (42%). Contrastingly, South Korean (29%), Japanese (27%), and Malaysian (23%) travelers displayed lesser interest, placing 8th, 9th, and 10th respectively on the breakfast-inclusion popularity table.
Traveling Overseas vs. Domestic: A Breakfast Tussle
An interesting trend emerged when comparing the breakfast preferences of international travelers versus those staying within their country. The data suggests that the charm of a comfortable meal is more appealing to international travelers, with 37% opting for the ‘breakfast included’ selection compared to 31% of domestic tourists.
Enric Casals, Regional Vice-President Southeast Asia and Oceania at Agoda, commented on the findings, stating, “There are lots of factors at play to determine the popularity of including breakfast when booking your accommodation. It’s often the flexibility to decide last-minute depending on your plans during the trip, but it’s well worth noting that if you do plan to start the day with a meal, it’s often most economical to include it during the booking. And at Agoda, anyone that reaches VIP Platinum status automatically qualifies to receive complimentary free breakfast at many accommodations. That way, the only appetite left will be the appetite to travel.”
Also read: Fly With Peace of Mind: Vietjet Introduces Complimentary Sky Care Insurance for All Passengers
Breakfast Preferences Per Destination: A Cultural Insight
Breakfast trends differ significantly across destinations. According to Agoda’s data, travelers to Vietnam most frequently selected breakfast options, followed by Taiwan and the Philippines. Conversely, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore saw lesser interest in breakfast buffets. South Korea stands out as the country where breakfast inclusion in hotel reservations is least popular, with only 1 in 10 travelers making that choice.
For those who don’t want to miss out on their morning meal, Agoda offers a ‘Breakfast included’ filter on its website and app, ensuring travelers can find the best deals for accommodations that cater to their culinary morning rituals.
