Synovate survey quantifies Asian space beliefs

Company Release, November 24

New Delhi

Alien encounters and UFO sightings, along with a fascination for outer space, are alive and strong in Asia according to survey results released by leading global market research company, Synovate.

Synovate Director, Scott Lee, said the recent successful Chinese space mission inspired Synovate to explore Asian perceptions of space, resulting in some out-of-this-world findings on people's attitudes, space travel desires and extraterrestrial experiences.

The survey covered 5,500 respondents in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Korea.

Extraterrestrial experiences

“Asians are clearly convinced that we are not alone in our universe, with more than six out of ten people (64%) surveyed across all countries believing that intelligent life exists on planets other than earth," he said.

"Personal extraterrestrial experiences are also far more common than expected with 10% of Asians believing that they have seen a UFO and a further 3% believing that they have had an encounter with aliens from another planet.

“When applied across the enormous populations of the countries surveyed, that is over 250 million UFO sightings and more than 80 million alien encounters,” added Mr Lee.

Chinese (81%) and Hong Kong residents (70%) are the most likely to believe in intelligent life outside of earth while UFO sightings are more common in India (13%), Korea (10%) and China (9%). Four per cent of residents in Hong Kong reported having seen a UFO.

Visitors from other worlds land more often in Indonesia, where 6% of respondents believe they have had an encounter with aliens from another planet, and Korea, where 8% of residents aged 50 to 64 reported making contact with alien counterparts.

Synovate Indonesia Managing Director, Robby Susatyo, said the high rate of alien experiences in Indonesia may be connected to their culture's firm belief in ghosts.

"Indonesians, like many Asians, hold a strong belief in the existence of ghosts,” he said.

“It may well be that people believe their experiences with ghosts are similar to aliens, while many are also of the opinion that all creatures from another world are really siblings anyway."

Synovate India Managing Director Alok Shanker also believed that the large number of UFO sightings in India related to the nation’s majority Hindu religion.

“Mystical flying chariots are a common component of the Indian belief system and most Indians have faith in supernatural powers, both of which may help to account for the large number of UFO sightings in India,” he said.

Space tourism

Although many Asians believe that life exists on other planets, they are not so keen to go exploring these unknown worlds themselves just yet.

Sixty one per cent of respondents across Asia said they would not want to travel to outer space if given the option, with the Chinese (76%) and Indonesians (71%) the least adventurous populations when it comes to space travel.

Indians are the only people who appear keen to explore their astral surroundings, with 60% saying they would like to travel to outer space one day.

“Indian Astronaut Kalpana Chawla, a crew member aboard the ill-fated Columbia Space Shuttle Mission, is a national hero and admired by Indians everywhere for the dedication she showed in following her dream of travelling to space,” said Mr Shanker.

“Her memory and commitment have helped inspire many Indians to also dream of one day exploring the stars.”

Despite a relatively low regional enthusiasm for personal space travel, 64% of Asians are certain that space tourism will become a big industry in the future with the Chinese (72%) and Koreans (69%) the most convinced.

“The Chinese awareness of space tourism has no doubt been engendered by the recent success of their first manned space flight, the Shenzhou-5, which has inspired great national pride,” said Mr Lee.

“However, Hong Kong residents are the most likely contenders for any fledgling space tour with 76% very willing to pay US$20 million to travel to the moon if they had the money.”

A significant number of Indians (38%) and Chinese (35%) were also prepared to spend a substantial sum for a lunar landing, while practical Indonesians (21%) and Koreans (20%) believe such spending to be flights of fancy.

Mr Lee said the willingness to spend large amounts on space travel reflected the general spending characteristics of these populations.

"Hong Kong residents, renowned as status-conscious consumers, would view a US$20 million trip to the moon as a very exclusive holiday indeed,” he said.

“Koreans on the other hand are far more practical and realistic when it comes to their spending and so are more likely to reject such extravagance.”

Astronaut ambitions

While children in the region, motivated by Chinese astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng, may harbour dreams of one day having a career in space, their parents have alternative plans with only 42% of Asians regionally wanting their children to become an astronaut.

Residents in Hong Kong (61%) and India (56%) are far more likely to want their children to become astronauts compared to people in China (34%). Koreans are the least enthusiastic about having a space travelling child with only 19% supportive of such a career and 61% firmly against their children becoming astronauts.

Mr Lee said that regardless of space travel plans, parental ambitions or personal experience, it is clear that people in Asia remain fascinated with space and the great unknown of our universe.

“We may be no closer to proving the existence or otherwise of aliens and UFOs,” he said

“But with 62% of Asians agreeing that man walking on the moon was one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century, space travel and the possibility of extraterrestrial life clearly continue to capture people’s imaginations right around the world.”

For further details:

Madhurima Bhatia

Communications Manager, India

Phone +91 11 26602767/ 68

madhurima.bhatia@synovate.com