More than half of Singaporeans and Malaysians who have travelled
since the start of the year plan to travel again in the next three
months, according to a joint study conducted by Yahoo and consumer
research company Milieu Insight of 1,000 respondents from each country
to unveil their travel plans and patterns for Q2 2023.
The study found that 61% of respondents who have traveled overseas
for leisure since the start of 2023 have been to Southeast Asia, which
is the top travel destination for both Singaporean and Malaysian
travellers.
However, travellers' appetite for new experiences has not waned, with
46% planning to travel again to Southeast Asia, followed by East Asia
(38%) and Australia/New Zealand (20%) in the next three months.
While 61% of Singaporeans prefer to relax and take things slow for
their next travel trip, Malaysians are quite the opposite, with 65%
preferring to explore as much as they can. The latter also tend to be
more budget-conscious, with 83% saying that they have a travel budget to
stick to, compared to 68% in Singapore.
Sightseeing (70%) and shopping (46%) are the top travel activities in
both countries, but the trend skews towards Singaporean travellers.
Malaysian travellers, on the other hand, showed more interest in other
activities such as arts, history, and cultural immersion (33% vs. 17% in
Singapore) and notably a rising travel trend - environment, climate,
and wildlife conservation (29% vs. 11% in Singapore). They also showed
much higher intention to join local activities (80% vs. 58% in
Singapore), such as culinary workshops and cultural immersion with
locals.
Some 74% of respondents who book travel arrangements themselves would
do so via travel booking platforms, with travel booking platforms
especially popular among 25-34 year olds in Singapore (83%) and Malaysia
(64%). Discounts and promotions (57%) and the convenience of making
multiple bookings on one platform (46%) are the top motivators for using
these platforms, as travellers now seek more diverse and immersive
experiences.