Singapore travellers are showing increased interest in destinations beyond established holiday choices, with Antarctica, South Korea, Mongolia, Bhutan and Norway recording growth in enquiries, according to 2026 data from Lightfoot Travel.
Antarctica enquiries more than doubled compared with 2025, as did those for South Korea. Mongolia recorded a 75 per cent increase, Bhutan around 40 per cent and Norway more than 70 per cent. Spain also recorded year-on-year growth and will experience a total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027.
Established destinations continue to account for bookings. South Africa and China were Lightfoot’s two most-booked destinations among Singapore clients in 2026, followed by Japan, Peru and Vietnam. Vietnam enquiries increased 50 per cent, while Japan bookings rose 80 per cent year on year.
Lightfoot also reported increased standalone interest in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, despite overall Central Asia enquiry volumes remaining broadly stable.
The company said travellers were seeking more interaction with local communities, food and culture. Recent itineraries have included time with the Vedda community in Sri Lanka, breakfast with monks in Bhutan, meals with families in Central Asia and visits to weavers in Peru’s Sacred Valley. Hilton’s 2026 Trends Report found 81 per cent of Singapore families cited culinary exploration as their main family travel activity.
Multi-generational travel also remains a source of demand, with recent trips covering Mongolia, Kenya, China, Egypt, Italy, Norway and Peru.
Lightfoot also noted that AI is changing how clients research and plan trips. Travellers are increasingly approaching the company after researching destinations and itineraries themselves, with travel specialists then providing advice on accommodation, guides, access and changes to travel plans.
“AI has made travel inspiration incredibly accessible, and that is a good thing,” said Lucy Jackson Walsh, co-founder and director at Lightfoot Travel. “Our clients often come to us having already researched a destination and with a strong idea of what they want to do. The question is no longer simply, ‘Where should I go?’. It is ‘How do I make this trip exceptional?’”
Lightfoot identified Antarctica, Vietnam, Norway, Bhutan, South Korea, Mongolia and Spain as destinations to watch in 2027.
Jackson Walsh noted: “Singapore travellers are extraordinarily well travelled, and that changes what luxury travel needs to deliver.
“Our clients still love the classics, but they are increasingly looking for somewhere or something they haven’t experienced before. Whether that means Antarctica, travelling with three generations of the family or discovering a destination through its food and people, the common thread is wanting to come home feeling they have experienced something genuinely special.”
