Tailored to Win: How Hotels are
Using Localization to Capture
Asia’s Tourism Boom

Tailored to Win: How Hotels are Using Localization to Capture Asia’s Tourism Boom

New research on 526 hotels across 12 markets reveals the strategies,
ROI, and barriers behind tailoring experiences for Asia’s top source
markets including China, Japan, South Korea, and beyond.

New research on 526 hotels across 12 markets reveals the strategies, ROI, and barriers behind tailoring experiences for Asia’s top source markets including China, Japan, South Korea, and beyond.

Download the report

Inside the data

Our proprietary research combines quantitative survey data from hotel operators across Asia-Pacific with official tourism statistics and expert interviews to identify localization trends and barriers.

526 hotel survey respondents

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12 Asian markets

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44% senior leaders in travel

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Insights that drive results

Asia now accounts for nearly 28% of global international arrivals – up from 9% in 2022. Intra-Asia travel dominates, with China, Japan, and South Korea as the top source markets for hotels across the region. But the “Asian traveler” is not one archetype.

Success depends on your ability to tailor marketing, booking, payments, and on-site experiences to the cultural and linguistic preferences of each source market. This report shows you how hotels are doing it, and where they’re falling short.

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1. Localization is the competitive edge
in the intra-Asia travel boom

1. Localization is the competitive edge in the intra-Asia travel boom

Hotels across Asia draw most overseas guests from neighboring or culturally connected markets. China is a top-3 source for Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and South Korea. Japan and South Korea are top sources for each other and Taiwan.

But each market has distinct preferences, from payment methods to dining expectations. Hotels that tailor to these differences gain a measurable edge. Audit your guest mix, identify your top source markets, and map their booking, payment, and on-site preferences. Prioritize localization investments where volume and margin intersect.

2. Localization is not uniform,
it varies by source market

2. Localization is not uniform, it varies by source market

Most hotels have adopted some form of tailoring, but depth varies widely. While around 60% use local media channels and display booking details in the guest’s language, far fewer partner with local influencers or accept local digital wallets like Alipay or WeChat Pay. The “last mile” gap – staff training, cultural amenities, advanced payment options – remains inconsistently applied.

Move beyond translation: integrate local payment methods, train staff on cultural norms, and partner with local content creators to reach travelers where they research and book.

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3. Localization produces quantitative gains but not evenly distributed with the greatest impact at more advanced stages

3. Localization produces quantitative gains but not evenly distributed with the greatest impact at more advanced stages

Hotels at advanced stages of localization report significantly higher guest satisfaction, repeat bookings, and willingness to pay premiums compared to early-stage localizers. The ROI is highest when localization is integrated across the entire guest journey—not applied piecemeal.

Advanced localizers are far more likely to report significant positive impact on RevPAR. Embedding deeper, integrated strategies across marketing, booking, and on-site experiences drives both stronger financial performance and long-term competitiveness.

4. The data gap: barriers to adopting
localization strategies

4. The data gap: barriers to adopting localization strategies

The top barriers to localization are limited awareness of cultural norms and expectations, lack of guest data insights, and uncertainty about which efforts deliver the most impact. Technical constraints – outdated booking engines and lack of multilingual tools – add to the challenge.

Without this clarity, many properties risk “flying blind,” over – or under-investing in localization for certain markets. Closing these gaps requires moving beyond guesswork to data-driven decision-making.

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5. Leverage OTA partnerships to accelerate localization and market reach

OTA platforms are proving critical for hotels looking to close gaps in data, payments, and execution. The majority of advanced localizers rely on OTA booking tools to display prices in local currency, integrated payment functions for digital wallets, and multilingual online engagement support.

By tapping into OTA tools and insights, properties overcome resource constraints and scale localization more effectively. Use growth programs to increase visibility in priority origin markets during peak travel periods, run country-specific promotions and native-language ad campaigns, and access guest origin, preference, and behavior data through insight sharing.

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AGODA RESEARCH

Tailored to Win: How Hotels are Using Localization to Capture Asia’s Tourism Boom

526 hotels across 12 markets share what’s working, what’s not, and how to prioritize localization investments for measurable ROI.

526 hotels across 12 markets share what’s working, what’s not, and how to prioritize localization investments for measurable ROI.

Download the report

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