Struck by cabin fever? You’re not alone – 70% of Singaporeans still hope to go on a holiday in 2020 and 40% are willing to visit COVID-19 hotspots in 2021!
2020 has been like a game of Jumanji. The first half plummeted oil prices into negative for the first time in history while Earth almost got hit by a ‘city killer’ asteroid, and the second half is about to begin with Kanye West and his alleged bid for the US presidency. If anything’s a constant in 2020 at all (other than the global shortage of Nintendo Switch), it’s our ruined travel plans – thanks to Miss Rona.
While Brian Pearce, the Chief Economist at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), predicts that travel will only resume to 2019 levels in 2023, it seems that our love for travel remains undeterred.
With less than six months until the end of the mad year, 7 in 10 Singaporeans are holding out hope to travel in 2020. Among them, the biggest group (35%) is actually millennials aged between 25 to 34 years old, who already have immediate travel plans for 2020. 😲
Highly Anticipated Countries ✈️
During the last few months of Circuit Breaker, I’ve admittedly spent way too much time dreaming about my next flight out too. As part of our travel survey, we’ve also asked Singaporeans to reveal the countries they want to travel to immediately once border restrictions are lifted, and these are the top 10 countries in order of popularity:
- 🇯🇵 Japan
- 🇹🇭 Thailand
- 🇲🇾 Malaysia
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- 🇰🇷 South Korea
- 🇹🇼 Taiwan
- 🇨🇳 Mainland China
- 🇳🇿 New Zealand
- 🇮🇩 Indonesia
- 🇻🇳 Vietnam
What’s surprising is that 40% of Singaporeans are actually willing to travel to COVID-19 hotspot countries in 2021. Well, with COVID-19 vaccines progressing into late-stage trials, countries gradually reopening their borders, and flights starting to fly out of Changi Airport, this could be the glimmer of hope we all need in 2020.
Travel Promos Are Irresistible 🌎
More than anything, we love a good deal and 58% of Singaporeans admit that they’re enticed by promotional prices to resume travelling in 2020.
Among the majority, it’s revealed that “Pay Now, Travel Later” promotions with at least half-priced discounts are the most attractive. Rightfully so, since Brian Pearce estimates that flight tickets will cost 43% to 54% higher than pre-Rona prices, due to in-flight social distancing policies that may become the new normal for the future of flying. 😢 Of course, factors like the flexibility of stay and eligibility for full refunds will also be a big consideration for those looking to snag travel deals.
Travellers Just Wanna Have Funds 🤑
That’s not to say that Singaporeans will be scrimping on their next holiday though! In fact, 85% of Singaporeans are prepared to spend more on their next holiday.
4 in 10 are willing to budget 30% or more for their upcoming travel plans as a way to compensate previously cancelled travel plans. Quick maffs: higher budget = more shopping, yay!
No Travel Plans? No Problem 🤙
For other Singaporeans who haven’t made any immediate travel plans, most have chosen to set the money side for other purposes. Here’s what Singaporeans are doing with their money instead:
- ☔️ Save for rainy days: 28%
- 🛌 Indulge in local staycations: 15%
- 🛍 Retail therapy with local shopping: 14%
- 🐘 Visit local tourist attractions: 5%
Well, if I can’t travel soon, I’ll most likely be splurging on my favourite activewear brands and consider signing up for a celebrity fitness program.
How about you? What other plans do you have for your money if you’re not travelling in 2020? Let us know in the comments below!
Whether you’re travelling in 2020 or 2021, don’t forget to keep your trusty YouTrip card with you. As new adventures await, we hope you’ll stay safe and take care!
P.S. As our way of saying thank you for your time, we’ve emailed these lucky respondents to claim a token of appreciation from us. If you’ve missed it, drop us an email at marketingsg@you.co. 🙂
About YouTrip Travel Intent Survey 2020
The YouTrip Travel Intent Survey 2020 was conducted among 6,000 Singaporeans to uncover the outlook on travel recovery and understand post-COVID-19 travel behaviour. The survey was conducted from 17 June 2020 to 24 June 2020, for YouTrip users aged 18 and above.
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