High-end Singaporean travellers are finding inspiration at the NATAS Travel Fair by visiting the “separate counters” run by major outbound agents to plan customised programmes.
According to NATAS (National Association of Travel Agents Singapore) president Steven Ler, these travellers are clear about their expectations and are drawn to the fair by the large number of tourist boards represented. Papua New Guinea was the destination partner for the end-February/early-March fair this year, he added, with other tourism boards participating to provide fresh insights.
“Papua New Guinea, for example, offers new options for travellers looking for adventure and the culture is very different,” Ler said.
He observed that high-end Singaporean travellers are also seeking new ideas and are highly engaged with tourism boards from popular destinations such as Taiwan and South Korea, which come with new content, partners and products.
While the fair does not have a dedicated luxury segment, Ler said well-known brands such as Chan Brothers Travel, CTC Travel and EU Holidays “have a presence” and operate “separate counters” onsite to engage customers who do not find group series programmes suitable.
Despite the softer economy, Singaporeans are not resisting overall cost increases of between 20 and 30 per cent, he noted. To mitigate higher costs, some travellers are shortening trip durations while others are planning longer, back-to-back holidays.
“Some retirees are combining two holidays into one to save on longhaul air fares and this is trending for some programmes to Latin America, Europe and cruises,” he added.
