---
title: "What International Travelers Really Want From Hotels"
description: "From booking to check-in to coming back"
published: 2023-12-18T10:00:00+00:00
author: "ONDA 편집팀"
category: "Insights"
image: "https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65d61f92497915cfb30e083e_Frame_85.jpg"
canonical: https://global.onda.me/en/blog?slug=oegugin-gwangwanggaegi-hotele-weonhaneun-3gaji
locale: en
---
# What International Travelers Really Want From Hotels

Global travel is roaring back. According to the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), [international tourism recovered to 87% of pre-pandemic levels](https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-to-end-2023-close-to-90-of-pre-pandemic-levels) through Q3. By year-end, that figure's expected to hit 90% — practically back to normal.

Inbound tourism to Korea is recovering fast too. Through October, [foreign arrivals reached 61% of 2019 levels](https://www.news1.kr/articles/5261992), with forecasts putting the annual total over 10 million visitors.

With international guests returning in force, Korean hotels are asking: how do we attract them — and give them an experience worth coming back for?

Global IT consultancy [Planet surveyed 6,500 hotel guests worldwide](https://www.weareplanet.com/ebooks/guest-sentiment-report) to answer that question. We dug into the data to find out **what today's travelers — especially those from Asia — actually want from their hotel stay.**

## **What Do Asian Travelers Expect?**

Post-pandemic travelers expect smoother, more seamless stays. But expectations vary by region.

**Let's look at three critical touchpoints — booking, check-in/out, and loyalty — and see what global and Asian guests are asking for.**

> **1. Booking and payment? Mobile.**

No surprise: most consumers search for hotels online. Among global travelers, 59% use mobile and 37% use desktop to research hotels and trips.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407df103b033fe1b46830_657fbcabc60cc9ea1123dd11_1.jpeg)

When booking, travelers prefer OTAs like Booking.com and Expedia, plus metasearch sites like TripAdvisor and Trivago. Globally, 62% book via OTAs and 43% via metasearch.

**Asian travelers lean even harder on these platforms** — 68% book through OTAs and 50% via metasearch, the highest rates of any region.

Interestingly, **North American travelers prefer direct hotel website bookings almost as much as OTAs.**

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407df103b033fe1b4682b_657fbcc46aaa41e72be55e26_2.jpeg)

Payment preferences also differ. Globally, mobile booking and payment is on the rise — but **Asian travelers (66%) favor mobile far more than the global average (45%).**

Over 20% of travelers from the Americas and Europe still prefer paying at the hotel. **Only 7% of Asian travelers want to pay on-site** — significantly lower.

Preferred payment methods vary too. Credit cards dominate globally, but Asian travelers show a relatively lower preference (64%) and **strongly favor mobile wallets like Alipay and WeChat Pay (59%).**

For smooth bookings with Asian guests, **offering local mobile payment options is essential.**

> **2. Check-in and check-out? Digital.**

COVID normalized contactless tech. Now, 59% of global travelers prefer self-check-in via mobile or kiosk to skip lines and get to their rooms faster. Another 13% simply don't want to interact with staff.

Regional preferences differ. North American and European travelers prefer face-to-face check-in more (57% and 56%, respectively) — above the global average. That means they're less interested in self-service options.

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407df103b033fe1b46827_657fbcfb6aaa41e72be58a3a_3.jpeg)

Asian travelers showed the opposite trend. **Preference for in-person check-in was 10% lower than the global average, while demand for digital self-check-in was significantly higher.**

For check-out, though, everyone agrees: speed matters. More than half (55%) of global travelers want a fast, no-wait check-out process. **Chinese travelers (63%) prioritize quick check-out most.**

> **3. Loyalty? Upgrades.**

Once you've delivered a great booking and stay experience, how do you bring them back?

Globally, travelers value **financial perks most: discounts (48%) and points (40%).**

![](https://zqcfqfqgiyckyhazcfrk.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/blog-images/webflow/6316f3f75130788ec2d762dd/65a407df103b033fe1b4681f_657feeb4be8409b068e7cdd7_4.jpeg)

But here's the key insight: **Asian travelers value room upgrades nearly as much as discounts** — far more than travelers from other regions.

Guests also want hotels to remember them on return visits. If you collect contact info, stay history, and preferences, you can build a customer database that enables personalized service, targeted offers, and repeat bookings.

## **'Mobile, Digital, Upgrades'**

We've looked at survey data from 6,500 guests worldwide to understand what international visitors want — and what services Korean hotels should prioritize.

The past three years changed hotels. They changed travelers too.

As inbound tourism nears full recovery, **the hotels that win will be the ones that understand their guests' needs and keep pace with rapidly shifting expectations.**