Consumers from Asia’s emerging markets tend to tip better – survey

MANILA, Philippines - Consumers from  Asia’s emerging markets are more likely to tip in a restaurant than their more developed counterparts, according to a MasterCard survey of consumer dining habits across the Asia- Pacific region.

The findings are taken from research conducted across 27 markets within Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa.The report for the Asia-Pacific region included interviews with 7,678 respondents from 16 markets who were asked questions about their dining habits. 

According to MasterCard’s survey on Consumer Purchasing Priorities – Dining, consumers from Bangladesh, Thailand and the Philippines   are the most prevalent tippers in the region. Thailand ranked as the most generous when it came to tipping in the same survey last year, and increases were recorded in Asia’s rapidly emerging markets such as Indonesia  and India  when compared to last year.

Markets where consumers are tightening their purse strings with regard to tipping include Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

In addition, before dining, more than one-third of consumers regularly look for online reviews before making dining out decisions. Asia’s most advanced tech markets lead the region with Taiwan, Japan and Singapore most reliant on online reviews when selecting where to eat out. It is worth noting though, that in the emerging markets in the region, namely Indonesia, Vietnam and Bangladesh, consumers still prefer recommendations from family and friends.

Interestingly, after dining, Chinese, Malaysian and Thai consumers are the most likely to post reviews on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, with about one in two respondents in these markets reporting that they regularly post comments online following their dining experience.

Singapore is top spender

In terms of spending, Singaporeans take the lead as the region’s top spenders on dining, with an average monthly dining spend of $262. Japanese and Chinese consumers follow closely behind with an average monthly dining spend of $225 and $203, respectively. In contrast, the region’s smallest spenders – India and Indonesia – spent only $17 and $19, or three percent and four percent of their monthly household income on dining respectively.

“There are big differences between the various cultures in the Asia-Pacific region and their tipping habits, and it’s always interesting to see how this is reflected in the research. It is also interesting to see the convergence of the growing online connectivity of Asia/Pacific consumers and their passion for food,” says Georgette Tan, group head, Communications, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, MasterCard.

“Food blogs are playing an increasingly influential role in Asia’s food scene, turning both locals and tourists alike to the best eats in town and placing lesser-known eateries on the radar of the keen, tech-savvy diners.”

Going online to check for credit card promotions available also remains popular, particularly in markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong and China where about 1 in 2 respondents do so regularly. Across Asia-Pacific, however, the frequency drops slightly to an average of 1 in 4 markets.