Up to 81% of Singaporeans plan to travel for leisure in the next one year, with Japan emerging as the top travel destination, a travel pattern survey by Milieu Insight revealed.
The survey on 2,000 respondents, represented by age and gender, from Singapore showed that Malaysia came in second, followed by Thailand, and that 25% have already booked their tickets or accommodations for their trips next year.
Australia showed to be particularly popular among respondents who had a child in the last 12 months (41%), and Indonesia as the ideal travel destination for newly engaged couples, Milieu said.
“Most countries have eased their travel restrictions and it’s encouraging to see the tourism industry on its way to recovery,” said Gerard Ang, CEO and co-founder of Milieu Insight.
The survey findings reflect a strong desire to travel in the coming year, with Singapore Airlines and Scoot as their preferred airline for their next overseas trip.
“We can expect that Singapore travellers will be taking the soonest opportunity to spend time away from home to wind down and discover new experiences with their loved ones,” he added.
Meanwhile, questions on what would motivate travel needs showed that leisure trips provide an “opportunity to relax” (86%), 59% want to “try new things”, 56% noted that it is a time to bond with family or friends, and 54% hoped to appreciate nature.
In that, more than half of the respondents aged 16 to 24 claimed that they were open to trying new things and doing “something exciting” on their overseas trips.
Additionally, over 60% of this age category looked to travel for the purpose of bonding with their family or friends, compared to those aged 25 and above, whereas those aged 45 and older were less likely to indulge as they travel.
Some 81% of this age group as well as those between 35 and 44 “intentionally” save up a few months ahead of their trip.
Apart from airfare and accommodation, nearly 50% were willing to spend the most of their expenditure on food and beverages during their trip. In contrast, 47% of those aged 55 above claimed they would spend the most on tours and experiences.