Tripadvisor’s latest Seasonal Travel Index has found that rising costs are not putting a stop to Singaporeans travelling this summer, as 84% plan to have a holiday despite nearly three-quarters having major concerns about inflation.
The study uses a combination of search and sentiment data to reveal what is on the minds of Singaporean travellers ahead of the busy summer travel season and where they plan to go.
While inflation is a significant concern for the majority of Singaporeans, with 77% reporting that they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the rising costs of goods and services, travel remains a top priority. A staggering 84% of Singaporean respondents plan to travel this year – 39% more than last summer.
In fact, they are more than willing to make other sacrifices to ensure that they can afford it. Dining out (64%) and clothing purchases (62%) are top for the chop as Singaporeans make cuts to non-essential spending in order to fund their travel this year.
Despite tight finances, 76% of Singaporean respondents say that they are planning to spend at least the same or more on travel this summer. 42% say that they are planning to take shorter trips and 39% will book trips closer to home. Singaporeans opting for an overseas trip stands at 58%.
According to Tripadvisor site data, which analysed searches made by Singaporean travellers for travel over the mid-year school holiday months, London ranked number one on the destination list, with Paris at second place, then followed by Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, and Melbourne.
Tripadvisor’s Travel Index shows that even though 72% of Singaporeans think sustainable travel is more important than it was pre-pandemic, 45% have not yet spent more on sustainable travel. Despite 57% of Singaporean travellers worrying about their carbon footprint when planning their travels, 45% said they have done absolutely nothing to offset it.
A whopping 93% state that they practice some sustainable habits while travelling, including eating and shopping locally at destinations, and travelling closer to home. While they have not yet done it, 65% of Singaporeans travellers say they are open to spending more to travel sustainably in the future.
