Asian shopper profiles in travel retail have changed dramatically post-Covid.

In the pre-lunch session on Day 1 of the TR Consumer Forum, the focus was on the passenger profile that most excites, and often most concerns, the industry – the Asian traveller.

Examining The Asian Traveller Reset: Who’s Moving, Who’s Spending, What’s Changing was Yilin Wang, Founder & CEO, Yilin Consulting, and John Rimmer, Director, JCR Consulting, with their industry experience and analysis complemented by the data insight of m1nd-set CEO, Peter Mohn.

Wang provided a powerful understanding of the behaviour of today’s Chinese Free Independent Travellers (FIT) blended with a deep East-West perspective on the strategies that will reach them.

Based on a 25-year, multi-role career that has given him a unique range of industry perspectives and insights, Rimmer can be relied upon to combine industry vision with the realism of the shop floor. As always, Mohn ensures that commercial strategies and visions are safely anchored to solid data.

Mohn outlined the shape and state of the Asian traffic market, highlighting that growth continues and the region is forecast to reach 578 million travellers in 2026. That growth has been driven by a rapid rebound in post-COVID travel. India and SE Asia are the principal drivers of future passenger growth, complemented by the expansion of secondary Chinese markets. The combination of these factors makes Asia a major influence on global travel retail demand.

Understanding Asian shopper behaviour

Using data to examine the Asian traveller reset and its implications for travel retail.

Asian travellers are increasingly focused on planning their purchases, Mohn noted: “You see more people are planning (purchases) specifically, so they know quite exactly what they want to buy, with an increase to 35%  this year (from 28% in 2025). So, it’s not only more than last year, but also more than we see in other regions across the world.”

Underpinning the session with data on the behaviour of Asian shoppers, Mohn shared five key learnings from m1nd-set’s in-depth investigation of the Asian market. The headline finding was that the industry is facing fewer shoppers – but those who are still buying are actually spending more.

Self-treat and brand loyalty are reshaping purchase motivations, and self-consumption has risen to counter the decline in gifting sales. Lastly, purchase decisions are polarising between ‘planners’ and ‘airport deciders’.

The key Asia questions laid bare to the audience at the TR Consumer Forum.

Highly pre-planned shoppers

Wang emphasised that Chinese traveller plan their purchases well before they travel, and they have doubts whether the airport is the right place to buy. She added that, although the Chinese travellers in Europe are highly price-conscious, they still respond to high-quality interaction with store staff. She highlighted the need to reach the Chinese traveller much earlier in their journey – she cited six weeks ahead as a recommended timescale, with digital being the most critical path to reach Gen Z.

She also warned delegates not to overlook the fact that digital is important across all other profiles. “They are all connected with their phone, and they are all present on different digital ecosystems,” she said. Wang closed her informative and entertaining session with emphasis on training store staff to avoid stereotyping of Chinese travellers in Europe, including actions as simple as acknowledging the traveller with a simple ‘nǐ hǎo’: “The first and most important point is that this is nothing relating to culture, it is simply related to being human. Don’t ignore them!”