Radisson Says Southeast Asia-Pacific Takes High Priority in 2026 Strategy as High Europe Airfares Shift Travel Demand at Travel Meet Asia

Southeast Asia-Pacific is taking a higher priority in Radisson Hotel Group’s 2026 strategy as expensive Europe airfares, changing traveller preferences and wider geopolitical uncertainty influence international travel demand. Speaking exclusively to Yunita Amalia and Suci Sekarwati, Correspondents from Travel and Tour World, during Travel Meet Asia 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia, Ms Elyzabeth Gultom, Account Director, Southeast Asia and Pacific for Radisson Hotel Group, outlined how the company is strengthening its regional focus through travel agency partnerships, hotel promotions and closer engagement with travellers across Asia-Pacific.

During the exclusive interview with Yunita Amalia and Suci Sekarwati, Correspondents from Travel and Tour World, Gultom shared insights into Radisson Hotel Group’s Southeast Asia-Pacific strategy for 2026, the impact of high Europe flight costs on destination choices, growing demand for Vietnam, opportunities for Brunei tourism, the potential of solo travel and the importance of offering hotel brands across different price segments.

Travel Meet Asia 2026 Strengthens Radisson’s Regional Engagement

Travel Meet Asia 2026 in Jakarta provided Radisson Hotel Group with an important platform for engaging directly with travel agencies, buyers and partners from across the regional tourism industry.

Gultom explained that discussions during the event provided opportunities to understand what travel buyers are seeking while presenting destinations and Radisson properties to potential partners.

Brunei emerged as one area of particular interest.

Buyers wanted to understand Brunei as a travel destination, including its key selling points and the strengths of Radisson’s hotel offering in the country.

According to Gultom, closer cooperation with travel agencies can support both destination awareness and hotel promotion, making industry events such as Travel Meet Asia an important part of the company’s regional engagement strategy.

Southeast Asia-Pacific Takes High Priority in Radisson’s 2026 Strategy

One of the strongest messages from the interview was Radisson Hotel Group’s increasing strategic focus on Southeast Asia-Pacific in 2026.

Gultom said the company is placing greater emphasis on Asia-Pacific, particularly Southeast Asia-Pacific, as geopolitical uncertainty affects parts of the wider international travel market.

Rather than depending on a single source market or destination, Radisson Hotel Group is looking to strengthen promotion across its regional portfolio.

The company plans to promote its Southeast Asia-Pacific hotels more aggressively while increasing engagement with travel partners and customers.

Stronger offers will also form part of the strategy.

By combining hotel promotion, travel trade partnerships and targeted offers, Radisson aims to capture demand as travellers reconsider where they want to travel in 2026.

High Europe Airfares Are Shifting International Travel Demand

High airfares to Europe emerged as another important factor influencing traveller behaviour.

Gultom said some customers who had originally planned European holidays are considering Southeast Asia-Pacific instead because flight tickets to Europe have become expensive.

The shift demonstrates how airfare costs can directly influence destination decisions.

Travellers may still want to take an international trip, but higher long-haul flight costs can encourage them to compare alternative destinations where the overall travel budget may be more manageable.

For Southeast Asia-Pacific, this creates an opportunity to attract demand that might otherwise have travelled farther abroad.

For Radisson Hotel Group, the trend reinforces the importance of strengthening hotel promotion across Southeast Asia-Pacific while travellers remain increasingly flexible about their destination choices.

Southeast Asia-Pacific Could Gain from Changing Travel Patterns

The changing international airfare environment could create additional opportunities for Southeast Asia-Pacific destinations in 2026.

Gultom’s observations indicate that travellers are increasingly weighing airfare costs alongside accommodation, destination appeal and overall affordability when deciding where to travel.

As expensive Europe flights affect some travel plans, Southeast Asia-Pacific can emerge as an alternative for customers looking for international experiences closer to their home markets.

This changing behaviour also creates opportunities for hotels and travel agencies.

Radisson Hotel Group is responding by increasing regional promotion, strengthening partner engagement and developing offers designed to support bookings.

The strategy reflects a broader focus on directing travel demand towards markets where travellers continue to see value and where the company has accommodation options across different spending levels.

Vietnam Emerges as One of Asia’s Fastest-Growing Destinations

Vietnam represents another important development within the changing Southeast Asia-Pacific travel landscape.

Gultom identified Vietnam as one of the fastest-growing destinations in Asia based on the changing preferences she has observed among clients.

Travellers from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore are increasingly considering Vietnam when planning international trips.

This indicates growing interest beyond destinations that have traditionally commanded significant regional demand.

According to Gultom, clients are considering Vietnam alongside, and in some cases instead of, established destinations such as Japan, Singapore and Thailand.

The changing pattern highlights Vietnam’s growing position within Asian travel planning and supports the broader case for increased attention on Southeast Asia-Pacific.

However, established destinations continue to remain important within the regional travel market.

Bali, Japan, Singapore and Thailand Retain Their Importance

Despite Vietnam’s growing appeal, Gultom emphasised that Bali, Japan, Singapore and Thailand continue to represent important destinations for travellers.

Their continued relevance demonstrates that emerging travel patterns do not necessarily replace established tourism markets.

Instead, travellers are gaining more choices.

Vietnam’s growing appeal is adding another major option to an Asian travel landscape that already includes some of the world’s most established destinations.

For hotel groups, this diversification creates opportunities to serve customers across a wider range of markets.

Radisson Hotel Group’s regional approach therefore reflects both sides of this trend: supporting demand in established destinations while recognising markets where traveller interest is accelerating.

This balance forms an important part of the company’s wider Southeast Asia-Pacific strategy.

Brunei Gains Attention as Radisson Explores New Travel Partnerships

Brunei was another significant focus during Radisson Hotel Group’s participation at Travel Meet Asia 2026.

Gultom said travel buyers showed interest in understanding the destination, including what Brunei can offer visitors and how Radisson’s hotel presence can support travel to the country.

The company is exploring collaboration with Indonesian travel agencies to help promote Brunei alongside Radisson properties.

Such partnerships could strengthen destination awareness while giving travel agencies additional products and experiences to present to customers.

Rather than marketing accommodation in isolation, the approach connects hotel promotion with the broader destination proposition.

For Brunei, increased engagement with Indonesian travel partners could help introduce the destination to travellers looking for alternatives within Southeast Asia.

For Radisson, stronger destination awareness can support greater visibility for its hotel offering.

Brunei Could Find Opportunities in the Solo-Travel Market

Solo travel was also discussed as a potential opportunity for Brunei.

Gultom connected the country’s natural environment, quiet atmosphere and affordability with some of the characteristics sought by travellers exploring destinations independently.

However, she also emphasised that suitability for solo travel depends on the individual destination and traveller.

The observation points towards an increasingly segmented travel market.

Travellers are not necessarily choosing destinations based only on traditional sightseeing attractions. Cost, atmosphere, nature and the type of experience available can also influence decisions.

This creates opportunities for destinations capable of addressing specific travel segments.

For Radisson Hotel Group, serving those different segments requires accommodation options capable of matching varying expectations and budgets.

Radisson’s Ten Brands Address Different Traveller Budgets

Radisson Hotel Group’s brand portfolio gives the company the ability to serve travellers across different spending levels.

Gultom explained that the group has ten brands ranging from economy to luxury.

This allows Radisson to address multiple customer segments as affordability becomes an increasingly important consideration in travel planning.

Budget-conscious travellers and some solo travellers can consider lower-priced options such as Park Inn by Radisson.

At the premium end of the market, travellers seeking a more upscale experience can choose Radisson Collection.

The portfolio therefore enables the group to respond to different travel purposes, preferences and budgets.

This flexibility could become increasingly relevant as high airfares and changing economic conditions encourage travellers to examine the total cost of their trips more closely.

Travel Agencies Remain Important to Radisson’s Regional Strategy

Travel agencies remain an important component of Radisson Hotel Group’s approach to regional growth.

During Travel Meet Asia 2026, Radisson introduced special promotional campaigns, particularly for travel agencies that scheduled appointments with the company.

Gultom also highlighted promotional opportunities for FIT, or Free Independent Traveller, bookings made through travel agencies.

These initiatives are designed to strengthen cooperation with travel trade partners while creating additional opportunities to generate bookings.

The strategy also demonstrates the continuing importance of travel agencies within an increasingly complex distribution environment.

Agencies can help travellers compare destinations, accommodation and overall trip costs while introducing customers to markets they may not previously have considered.

For Radisson, deeper agency engagement can support both hotel sales and destination visibility across Southeast Asia-Pacific.

Indonesia-Brunei Collaboration Could Expand Regional Travel Opportunities

Closer collaboration between Indonesian travel agencies and Brunei represents another potential area of development.

Radisson Hotel Group is exploring how travel partners in Indonesia can help promote Brunei as a destination while increasing awareness of Radisson’s properties.

The strategy creates a connection between one of Southeast Asia’s largest outbound travel markets and a destination seeking greater visibility among regional travellers.

Travel agencies can play an important role in this process by introducing Brunei to customers and explaining its tourism proposition.

For Radisson, such collaboration provides an opportunity to strengthen relationships with regional partners while supporting hotel demand.

The initiative also fits within the company’s broader strategy of increasing engagement across Southeast Asia-Pacific rather than relying exclusively on conventional hotel marketing.

Stronger Promotions Will Support Radisson’s Southeast Asia-Pacific Push

Radisson Hotel Group plans to take a more active promotional approach across Southeast Asia-Pacific as part of its 2026 strategy.

Gultom indicated that the company intends to promote its regional hotels more aggressively, strengthen relationships with partners and clients and introduce stronger offers.

This approach reflects the changing conditions influencing international travel.

Geopolitical uncertainty can alter travel confidence, while higher flight costs can affect the affordability of long-haul destinations.

At the same time, changing traveller preferences are creating opportunities for destinations such as Vietnam and Brunei.

Radisson’s strategy combines these factors by focusing on markets where demand could grow while ensuring travellers have accommodation choices across different price categories.

Travel agency partnerships will remain central to supporting that strategy.

A Changing Travel Market Strengthens Southeast Asia-Pacific’s 2026 Opportunity

Throughout the discussion, Gultom presented a travel market increasingly influenced by airfare costs, geopolitical conditions, affordability and changing destination preferences.

High Europe airfares are encouraging some customers to reconsider long-haul trips, while Southeast Asia-Pacific is gaining greater strategic importance for Radisson Hotel Group in 2026.

Vietnam is attracting growing interest, Brunei offers opportunities for stronger destination promotion, and established destinations including Bali, Japan, Singapore and Thailand continue to remain significant.

Radisson is responding through stronger hotel promotion, deeper travel agency partnerships, FIT offers and a portfolio spanning economy to luxury accommodation.

The wider message from Travel Meet Asia 2026 is that changing international travel patterns could create a significant opportunity for Southeast Asia-Pacific as travellers reconsider where their travel budgets can take them.

This article is based exclusively on an interview conducted by Yunita Amalia and Suci Sekarwati, Correspondents from Travel and Tour World, with Ms Elyzabeth Gultom, Account Director, Southeast Asia and Pacific for Radisson Hotel Group, at Travel Meet Asia 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. All information reflects statements made during the interview.