New Delhi (VNA) – Vietnam, India, and Indonesia are poised for a significant tourism boom, driven by the expansion and growing wealth of their middle classes, according to Jean-Jacques Morin, deputy chief executive officer of hotel group Accor SA. In an interview in Bangkok, Morin highlighted the stable finances and increasing preference for travel experiences among the middle classes in these countries as key factors driving substantial tourism growth. "The way people consume has changed," Morin observed. "Nowadays, people want services, not necessarily products. They want to have experiences, a trend that has been deeply accelerated by COVID-19." With a global portfolio of nearly 6,000 hotels across 45 brands, ranging from budget chains like Ibis to luxury resorts like Raffles and Banyan Tree, Accor aims to expand its portfolio by 3-4% this year. Morin noted that Asia is expected to account for approximately half of these new openings. Southeast Asia and India in particular present significant growth opportunities. Established tourism powerhouses such as Singapore, Thailand, and Japan are expected to maintain strong performance, while emerging markets like Vietnam and Indonesia are poised for rapid expansion. Expressing a bullish outlook on India's tourism sector, Morin pointed to the record-breaking orders for 970 planes placed by Air India Ltd. and IndiGo in 2023 as a clear indication of the country's readiness for a domestic and international travel boom. "The middle class is the most critical driver of this industry," Morin emphasized. "When you become a little bit more wealthy, you want to see the world."Furthermore, Morin predicted that the rise of "Gen Z" tourists, born around the turn of the millennium, will fuel faster growth in boutique and design-driven hotels in the coming years. This younger generation of travelers is known for its higher spending on food and beverages and its preference for "bleisure" trips, which seamlessly blend business and leisure travel.