2007 was a good year, and many professionals in Asia can expect to receive bumper bonuses. Travel service providers are hoping that some of this will translate into increased holiday bookings for 2008.

Has the rise of social-networking sites, travel blogs, budget airlines and range of specialist holiday options impacted how Asia’s well-heeled travel?

We conducted a quick dipstick survey asking over sixty respondents in Hong Kong about their travel preferences and habits. Each respondent earned a salary of between HK$40,000-HK$80,000 a month and traveled at least four times a year on average.

Here are a few highlights.

Are online travel community sites big?

Virtually every major airline, hotel, resort, and tourist attraction has its own online booking facilities thesedays, while travel community websites and blogs have grown in number and statue.

Just how popular are online travel information sites with more affluent, middle class consumers in Hong Kong? Would most cash-rich, time-poor urbanites still prefer to rely on traditional channels?

The results show that online travel blogs or community sites did not even make it to the top 10 sources of information for this group. On the other hand, about one third of the respondents do rely on search engines.

Not surprisingly, friends are the top influence and will make a difference between booking a hotel in Bali or Bhutan. Traditional media such as travel guides, lifestyle magazines and television still play an important part in raising brand awareness for travel service providers.

Safety or comfort first?

With the possibility of terrorist acts still lurking in Asia, Safety comes as a key consideration after factors such as price and recommendations, and before creature comforts such as type of hotel or the quality of food.

Conveniences such as agreeable flight times and ease of booking were to a degree, also viewed as important.

Hong Kong travelers are practical consumers, listing price as the most important factor, seeking value for money in their holiday choices.