Travel News
Singapore travellers are region’s most cost-conscious: Klook survey
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Singapore travellers are becoming more mindful of rising travel costs, but they are adapting rather than cutting back, finding more strategic ways to stretch their dollar overseas.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
- Singapore travellers are the most cost-conscious in the Asia-Pacific, with 71 per cent citing financial concerns.
- They prioritise travel experiences and consider overcrowding when choosing destinations.
- Japan, China, and Vietnam remain top destinations, with notable increases in demand for specific cities like Hangzhou and Nagoya.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore travellers have emerged as the most cost-conscious market in the Asia-Pacific, ahead of those from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, based on travel booking platform Klook’s Travel Pulse 2026 survey.
Released on July 8, the survey found that 71 per cent of Singapore respondents cite financial concerns as their biggest barrier to travelling. Even so, eight in 10 say they are continuing to travel.
The findings suggest that while Singapore travellers are becoming mindful of rising travel costs, they are adapting rather than cutting back, finding more strategic ways to stretch their dollar overseas.
For instance, they are searching for deals and discounts (47 per cent), booking earlier to secure better prices (46 per cent) and returning to familiar destinations but opting for more affordable accommodation (31 per cent).
“Cost-consciousness is changing how Singaporeans travel, not whether they travel,” said Sarah Wan, general manager of Klook Singapore, in a press statement. “They’re travelling smarter, not less, while planning more intentionally, seeking better value and choosing experiences that matter most.”
The deliberate approach to travel extends beyond managing costs. Increasingly, Singapore travellers are also factoring overcrowding into holiday plans.
According to the survey, 66 per cent say overcrowding significantly or completely influences where they choose to visit, and 94 per cent say it has some influence on their destination choices.
They are also putting experiences ahead of destinations. Some 42 per cent said they plan their trips around the experiences they want to have, alongside their budget and available travel dates, rather than deciding on a destination first.
Despite these changing travel habits, Japan, China and Vietnam remain the top destinations among Singapore travellers.
Klook has seen a 20 per cent year-on-year increase in demand for Japan-related travel, with cities such as Fukuoka and Nagoya recording growth of 33 per cent and 58 per cent respectively.
In China, cities like Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenzhen continue to be popular, and Hangzhou has recorded a 233 per cent year-on-year increase in demand, based on Klook data.
Demand for Vietnam has risen 50 per cent year on year, with Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Sapa, Hanoi and Ha Long city among the country’s most sought-after destinations.
