HCMC – Vietnamese travelers recorded the highest participation rate in loyalty programs across Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC), with 96% enrolled in at least one program, according to Marriott Bonvoy’s Loyalty Trends Report 2026 released on May 21.
The report, based on a survey of 1,731 travelers across eight APEC markets, found that loyalty engagement in the region is increasingly shaped by travel preferences, demand for everyday value and local market behavior rather than a uniform regional approach.
Across APEC, 89% of travelers participate in at least one loyalty program, while hotel loyalty programs remain the most popular category, engaging 66% of travelers, ahead of airline, retail and dining programs.
Vietnam was grouped with India and Indonesia under the “Experience Seekers” segment, where travelers show strong interest in partnership ecosystems, exclusive benefits, status recognition and experiential rewards. The report identified these markets as key drivers of loyalty growth in the region.
Vietnamese travelers also stood out in several categories, with 63% earning loyalty points through gamified activities, the highest rate in APEC, and 47% redeeming points for exclusive experiences, also the highest in the region. The report further found that Vietnamese travelers were the most likely in APEC to travel for cultural immersion.
Regionally, food and dining ranked as the leading travel priority, cited by 63% of travelers, followed by nature and sightseeing, shopping, cultural immersion, and opportunities to recharge and disconnect.
The report found that travelers increasingly expect loyalty programs to offer everyday earning opportunities, broader redemption options and stronger partnerships beyond hotel stays. Stays at hotels remained the main source of loyalty point accumulation across APEC, followed by spending on co-branded credit cards, dining and food delivery services, and retail and e-commerce partners.
